Großkmehlen Castle

Großkmehlen Castle is located in the southern Brandenburg town of Großkmehlen in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district. The listed moated castle with its outbuildings is owned by Brandenburgische Schlösser GmbH.

The moated castle is situated in a four-hectare landscape park, which also contains a pavilion. To the south of the castle stands the St. George's Church, also a listed building. On the second Sunday of September each year, the Castle and Hop Festival takes place on the grounds, coinciding with the Open Monument Day.

Around the year 1200, border fortifications were built in the area of the Pulsnitz and Black Elster rivers, as this area was where the interests of the Margraviate of Meissen and Upper and Lower Lusatia met. The former castle complex in Großkmehlen was laid out as a castle mound on the Meissen side of the Pulsnitz. On the opposite side in Upper Lusatia, a complex also developed in Lindenau, from which Lindenau Castle emerged.

Later, the castle complex in Großkmehlen was transformed into a stone building with a residential tower, an attached palas, and a gate tower. The resulting rectangular building enclosed an inner courtyard. Since the 14th century, the von Lüttichau family was enfeoffed with the Groß-Kmehlen manor. In 1540, an inheritance division occurred, as a result of which the castle complex was divided.

The current castle is a Renaissance building from the mid-16th century, incorporating the existing predecessor building from that time. During renovation work in the mid-17th century, Baroque stucco decorations were applied on the first floor, likely by Italian artists.

The last owner of the castle was the Lynar family. In 1945, they were dispossessed and expelled by the communists. The castle subsequently served as a nursing and retirement home. From 1993, the dilapidated building stood empty. Preservation measures began in 1997. In that year, the district became the owner. It was followed in 2000 by the Brandenburgische Schlössergesellschaft.

The castle, castle park, and manor will be financed with 6 million Euros until 2013. The castle is to become a community center for Großkmehlen. A depot for the volunteer fire brigade will also be built on the premises. A combined heat and power plant is planned on the edge of the site.