Pessin Manor

Among the oldest houses in Pessin is undoubtedly the manor house of the von Knoblauch family, which is considered the oldest manor house of the lower March nobility in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In 1419, the manor house was built by Sigmund von Knoblauch - the progenitor of the von Knoblauch family - as the von Knoblauchs were enfeoffed with the lordship of Pessin in 1416. However, the settlement history of the manor house's location must be much older, as it was built as a simple two-story half-timbered house on the thick foundation walls of a partly vaulted cellar. It is presumed that an older castle stood on the same spot.

"In 1608, eight knightly seats were registered in Pessin, making the place, along with nearby Retzow, the top value of all then-registered places with noble residences in the Prignitz, Mittelmark, and Uckermark. Seven of these knightly seats belonged to the von Knoblauch family, one was owned by Jobst von Bredow."

In the 18th century, seven branches of the von Knoblauchs were still resident in the village, and their descendants remained in Pessin until 1932. For example, Friedrich Wilhelm von Knoblauch (1798-1852) and his wife Pauline von Bardeleben (1811-1884). In her honor, the "Bardelebens Meierei" (Bardeleben's Dairy) was named Paulinenaue on April 30, 1833, thus making her the namesake of today's municipality of Paulinenaue. The family crest of Pauline von Bardeleben can still be seen today in the Pessin village church.

Friedrich Wilhelm von Knoblauch and Pauline von Bardeleben had several children. One daughter was Laura von Knoblauch (*September 12, 1836, at Gut Pessin; † December 27, 1904, in Potsdam) who married Count Georg von Waldersee (*October 22, 1824, in Berlin; † October 30, 1870, in Le Bourget / France (on the battlefield)) on October 27, 1856, in Pessin. Another daughter was Pauline von Knoblauch (* April 12, 1843, at Gut Pessin; † December 18, 1904, at Gut Senzke), the wife of Wolf Dietrich Otto von Bredow (* May 1, 1834, at Gut Senzke, Westhavelland district, Brandenburg; † March 18, 1920, at Gut Senzke), who was a landowner in Senzke, as well as in Pessin, and a Prussian politician. A small estate of the von Bredows had existed in Pessin since 1375, but it had to be sold in 1928 due to bankruptcy.

The estates of the von Knoblauchs were compulsorily auctioned in 1932. The manor house of the von Knoblauchs was acquired by the von Bake family, who were, however, dispossessed in 1945.

The manor house of the von Knoblauch family was rebuilt several times; reconstruction work at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century is known. After the Second World War, the most profound structural changes took place, such as the demolition of the hall extension of the manor house, the removal of the coat of arms, and the felling of the old lime trees. In the sixties, the western half-timbered facade was reshaped.

During GDR times, the manor house was used for various purposes, from a residential building to a crèche and kindergarten, to the municipal office and library, as well as a doctor's practice.

In February 2007, the house was sold by the municipality and is now in private ownership.