Schleiz Castle (Ruin)

A castle settlement emerged from a Slavic village "Slowicz" (plum). The construction of the medieval castle to protect the connecting road from Nuremberg to Naumburg and Leipzig was carried out by the Lords of Lobdeburg.

After the old castle in the new town was completely destroyed by a major fire in 1475, the Lords of Gera built a new complex on the former foundations of the castle. From 1647 to 1848, the Counts and later Princes Reuss-Schleiz resided in the castle. This complex also completely burned down in 1689. The old keep – called the main tower – was also demolished along with the other fortifications in 1689. The castle was expanded in the 18th century until the Baroque building was completed in 1753. In August 1721, Johann Sebastian Bach gave concerts at Schleiz Castle together with the local court orchestra. After another major fire in 1837, the castle that perished in the bombing in 1945 was built on the vaults of the ground floor. The round towers, which still stand as ruins today, date from this period.