Röcknitz Manor

Röcknitz Manor is a building designed as a moated castle in the Thallwitz district of Röcknitz in Saxony. A large pond with a bridge still exists on the west side.

The house is a four-gabled building (two on the east and two on the west side). A coat of arms with the year 1696 can be seen on the west side. The coat of arms shows a swan and three hats with capercaillie feathers. The swan represents the von Plötz family and the three hats represent the von Birkholtz family. These represent the lords Joachim von Plötz and Katharina Agnes von Birkholtz, who married on November 20, 1670. Adjacent to the manor are several large farm buildings and a large park on the east side.

Röcknitz Manor probably dates from the mid-15th century. In 1465, Hans von Broda zu Röcknitz received 14 groschen in annual rent from Czoch, today's Zwochau. In 1495, Georg von Waren was at the Röcknitz manor.

In addition to the manor, around 1500 there was another estate in Röcknitz belonging to the Meissen Cathedral Chapter, which was later partly used as a sheep farm.

Christian Zoch became the owner of the Röcknitz manor in 1622. His family then remained owners for the following 65 years. In 1687, Joachim von Plötz became lord of the Röcknitz manor. He also bought the Treben manor from the then owner Privy Councillor von Bünau and merged it with the Röcknitz manor. On November 22 of the same year, by order of the Elector, he was appointed patron with the title of Landkammer- und Bergrat (Chamber and Mining Councillor) in Röcknitz and Treben. The patronage right returned to Röcknitz from the Elector after 117 years.

In 1696, the current manor house was renovated by Joachim von Plötz in a simply noble style. After Joachim von Plötz's death, the patronage right was withdrawn again and the estate passed to Oberwachtmeister Karl Reinhard von Hartitzsch for over thirty years.

In 1872, the Royal Chamberlain Baron Karl Alfred von Wächter bought the Röcknitz manor. After his death in 1914, it was sold to the Bautzmann brothers for 500,000 marks. The Bautzmann brothers had to sell the estate again in 1917 to Kommerzienrat Dr. Arthur Köpp. He paid 1.5 million marks for the manor and leased the estate. His son Heinrich took over the manor in 1935, but no longer lived in the manor house. In 1945, the owners were expropriated by the communists and Heinrich Köpp fled to Oberndorf am Neckar.

In 1954, the upper floor of the manor house was inhabited by thirteen refugee families from East Prussia and Silesia. A bay window was added for them, and a sanitary wing was built on the northern outer wall in 1947. The ground floor and first floor were used as a vocational school, kindergarten, after-school care, and as offices for the BHG. Here there was a Bauernstube (farmhouse parlor), the library, the senior citizens' meeting point, a beauty salon, a youth room, and a laundry roller. The last resident left the building in 1997, after which it stood empty and was approved for demolition.

In 1999, the representatives of the Röcknitz municipal council decided to preserve the manor house, and in 2000, extensive renovation work began on and in the manor house of the Röcknitz estate. The added sanitary wing was demolished again and partition walls were removed.

At Pentecost 2000, the ground floor of the manor house was ceremonially handed over. In September 2000, the large room in the manor house was handed over. Since then, the house has been used for the Röcknitz Manor Market, galleries, and other events. It is also possible to rent rooms for celebrations.