Dobersdorf Manor

Gut Dobersdorf is located on the shore of Dobersdorfer See in the Plön district in eastern Schleswig-Holstein. The former noble estate dates back to a medieval moated castle, and some of the lands are still farmed today. The manor house at Dobersdorf is one of the last works of late Baroque in Schleswig-Holstein.

Dobersdorf was first mentioned in 1340, at which time there was a motte-and-bailey castle south of the estate, the remains of which are still visible in the terrain. Around 1475, Dobersdorf passed to the Pogwisch family, who founded the actual estate and owned it, along with the nearby Gut Hagen, until the 17th century. The 17th century was marked by numerous changes of ownership. After Hinrich Pogwisch, the last male heir of the family, died in 1625, Dobersdorf successively passed to the ancient noble families Reventlow, Brockdorff, and finally to the Rantzau. At the beginning of the 18th century, another change occurred, and around 1705, the estate passed to the Blome family, who remained there for just over a century.

Christoph Blome had the current manor house built in the second half of the 18th century, but due to a testamentary disposition, it was hardly used by his descendants. Blome left only daughters and apparently did not trust his sons-in-law with the administration of the estate, so it was instead transferred to a family foundation in the 19th century and managed by administrators. It was only towards the end of the 19th century that the manor house was regularly inhabited, after the estate was occupied in 1890 by Kuno zu Rantzau and his wife Marie, a daughter of Otto von Bismarck. After the death of the last two residents, Marie von Bismarck died in 1927, the manor house stood empty again. The estate operation was maintained until 1932, then the family foundation sold the property. The manor house temporarily served as a hotel, while the once almost 2,500 hectares of land were largely sold, and the estate was reduced to about 800 hectares. In 1960, Dobersdorf passed to the Brandenburg family Burgsdorff, who had to give up their possessions in eastern Germany as a result of the post-war events. Under them, the estate was reorganized, and the focus was placed on forestry.

Gut Dobersdorf remains in private ownership to this day and is usually not publicly accessible; the manor house can only be viewed from public paths. However, markets are regularly held on the estate grounds, and some of the outbuildings are rented out as holiday apartments.