Gänsefurth Castle

Gänsefurth was formerly known as "Gansevorthe" and was first mentioned in a document in 1159. Later, the names "Genssenvorthe", "Gensevorde" and "Gensfort" were common. In 1307, the place was called "Gaensefurth".

The place became an imperial fief of Anhalt in 1299. In 1371, the place was owned by the von Wederde family. In 1422, "Schlosse Genseforde" is mentioned for the first time. On March 25, 1461, Prince Bernhard VI of Anhalt-Bernburg enfeoffed Claus von Trotha with the village and castle. On March 27, 1492, Claus von Trotha died and bequeathed the property to his sons. The castle and the church were destroyed in 1525. In 1571, the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and renovated in 1757. Thilo von Trotha founded the first lime works in Gänsefurth in the Weinbergsgrund in 1875. In 1912, it was leased to the Kalk- und Mergelwerke. In 1921, the castle was sold to the municipality of Hecklingen and subsequently used as a motorsport school until 1939. Until 1945, the castle housed a labor camp of the RAD. After the Second World War, Gänsefurth Castle was used as a retirement home, which was converted into a home for people with disabilities in 1992. In 1998, the home moved into a new building. Since then, the castle has been empty.