Glücksburg Castle

The origins of the current castle grounds date back to 1192, when a double monastery in Schleswig was dissolved and the monks settled in Guldholm, before founding the Cistercian monastery Rüdekloster between 1209 and 1210 near the present castle site. Following its secularization during the Reformation in 1538, the monastery came into the possession of Danish King Christian III in 1544. The actual history of the castle began in 1582, when King Frederick II granted the lands of the former Rüdekloster to his brother Johann III, also known as Hans the Younger. Johann III had the monastery demolished and built Glücksburg Castle in its place by 1587 as a new residence for his family. After his death in 1622, the duchy was divided, and his son Philipp founded the elder line of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which inhabited the castle for over 150 years. With the childless death of Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm in 1779, the fief reverted to the Danish royal family. In 1825, King Frederick VI handed the castle over to his brother-in-law Friedrich Wilhelm of the House of Holstein-Beck, who founded the younger line of the House of Glücksburg. The castle often served as a summer residence for the Danish royal family and gained the reputation of being the "Cradle of Europe" under King Christian IX, as his children married into many European royal houses. During the Second Schleswig War in 1864, the castle was used militarily and later became Prussian property, before being returned to the ducal family in 1871. The family inhabited the castle until the 20th century. Glücksburg largely survived the World Wars unscathed, but at the end of World War II, it served as quarters for Albert Speer and briefly as a detention center. As early as 1922, the castle was transferred to a foundation to preserve it and make it accessible to the public. Since 1948, it has been open as a museum.

Glücksburg Castle is located in the town of Glücksburg in the Schleswig-Flensburg district, in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It stands at an elevation of approximately 12 meters above sea level.

Visitors can explore Glücksburg Castle today, as it is open as a museum. Concerts and other cultural events are regularly held there.

• Manor House Freienwillen (manor and estate house), approx. 6.1 km away
• Margarethenhof (residence), approx. 8.3 km away
• Manor House Wesebyhof (manor and estate house), approx. 8.4 km away
• Manor House Lundsgaard (manor and estate house), approx. 9.3 km away