Darmstädter Castle

Built as a moated castle, more precise construction data are only available from Matthäus Merian's copper engraving around 1645. At that time, the castle consisted of a tall and mighty four-story defensive tower, which was directly attached to the town wall. It was equipped with four small two-story corner towers and had a pointed roof, with each side probably having a dormer. The tower was flanked by a house with a stepped gable on both sides. The smaller tower behind it (northwest) (only house height) was the gate tower to the town wall and the castle access. In 1640, the still existing keep or residential tower (palas) was demolished due to dilapidation. The presence of the economic building is naturally assumed.

From 1727 to 1747, the former castle was completely redesigned in a representative manner and converted into a Baroque three-wing complex. None of the old buildings have been preserved. To the north, the complex ends with the town wall, which is now much lower and can still be seen for about seventy meters with small interruptions. The lower floor of the north wing (facing the town hall), which faces east towards the street Am Darmstädter Schloss, was formerly a direct part of the town wall.

How the castle was rebuilt can be seen on the floor plan by surveyor Balthasar Blum from 1787: the tower and palas from the original construction no longer exist (cf. Merian's picture). Whether the building of the official scribe, which now stands in its place, consists of rebuilt or newly constructed remains, can no longer be verified. The official secretariat was also demolished in the 20th century. Through the westward two-winged courtyard gate, one entered the large inner courtyard, the "Vorderster Hofblatz mitsamt dem Mistblatz" (B). To the north adjoined the west wing (Building IV), the so-called Kelterhaus (wine press house). It also contained the bailiff's residence. Further north, framed by a part of the town wall, lay the baroque garden (A) in the French style. It could only be entered via the forecourt (D), which also provided access to the other castle wings. The official secretariat (Building II) separated the garden and the forecourt. Next to it was the two-story washhouse (Building III), which was directly attached to the northern town wall. As a right-angled ensemble, the north and south wings (Building I) were grouped around the forecourt. To the south of it was the vegetable garden as part of the large inner courtyard. On the eastern town wall was the stable (Building V) and to the south the tithe barn (Building VI) with two small pigsties (*) in front of it. The southern end of the large inner courtyard was the two-story granary, called the Long House (Building VII). The structure and purpose of Buildings VIII to X are unknown, but they probably served supply or residential purposes for the servants. The courtyard gate was framed to the south by the large pigsty. All roofs were characterized as hip roofs. The wide longitudinal buildings, the south wing and the Long House, determined the overall impression.

Since the mid-20th century, only the restored north and south wings with a passage remain. Both are united under a mansard roof. The north wing has one floor on a high plinth, while the south wing is two-story. The third wing, which in turn connected perpendicularly to the west wing and gave the entire ensemble its S-shaped floor plan, was demolished in 1952. In its place today stands the memorial with a menorah in memory of the old synagogue and behind it the stele with the list of all (Groß-)Umstadt Jews who fell victim to the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. Only parts of the former forecourt now belong to the castle ensemble. The garden became part of the retirement and senior citizens' home now located there.

The castle was extensively restored in 1974 and transferred to state ownership.

The castle belonged to the State of Hesse, which transferred its use to the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau. The Evangelical Deanery Vorderer Odenwald, with the dean and the deanery youth office, is located in the south wing. The Ecumenical Hospice Association Groß-Umstadt and the Groß-Umstadt branch of the Diakonisches Werk Darmstadt-Dieburg are also located there. From the rooms in the south wing, Radio Weinwelle now broadcasts annually for the Groß-Umstadt Wine Festival.

Around 2010, the castle was sold and is now in private hands. It has been extensively renovated and restored in recent years. The inner courtyard, enclosed by the castle wings, has been exemplarily restored. The usage agreements with the EKHN are being continued.