Altenhof Manor

Altenhof Estate is an estate complex in the Schleswig-Holstein municipality of Altenhof (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district). In the park of the noble estate, the remains of a motte, a medieval castle complex, are preserved.

Since about 1550, Altenhof was owned by the von Brockdorff family. The first manor house, built at that time, was probably located on the site of today's south wing. Mette Brockdorff, née Rumohr, sold Altenhof to Henning von Reventlow in 1691. Henning's son Cay Friedrich von Reventlow (1685–1762) built the present manor house in 1722–1728. His son Detlev (1710–1783), Count since 1767, was tutor to the Danish King Christian VII and led the negotiations with Tsarina Catherine II in 1773 concerning the Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo. His eldest son was Cay Friedrich Count von Reventlow (1753–1834), who held the directorship of the German Chancellery in Copenhagen, the highest state office in Schleswig-Holstein, from 1797 to 1802. His younger brother Friedrich Karl von Reventlow was lord of Gut Emkendorf and curator of the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel. Eugen Reventlow (1798–1885), Cay Friedrich's son, was first a Danish and after 1848 a Prussian diplomat.

In the 19th century, the manor house was first redesigned in a classical style, then in a neo-Gothic style. At the beginning of the 20th century, the old annexes were replaced by new side wings by the architect Paul Schultze-Naumburg. In 1938, Mrs. von Bethmann Hollweg, née Countess Reventlow, became the owner. It is still owned by the von Bethmann Hollweg family today. Schleswig Provost Reinhard von Kirchbach spent his retirement at Gut Altenhof and was involved in interreligious dialogue from 1976 to 1998.

The estate's park is now used as a golf course, and events as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival also take place at the estate. Due to its size, the manor house of the estate is often referred to as "Altenhof Castle."