To be privately owned
CastleHafenpreppach
Hafenpreppach Castle
Hafenpreppach Castle is situated on a low hill above the Maroldsweisach district of Hafenpreppach in the Haßberge district (Lower Franconia). The two-winged Baroque complex housed an orphanage after the Second World War; today it serves as the private residence of the painter Anton Höger.
By the 16th century at the latest, a line of the Stein von Altenstein family resided in Hafenpreppach, which they had received as a fief from the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. The ancestral castle of this family is located nearby on a ridge (Altenstein Castle). From 1664, the estate was owned by the Barons von Greiffenclau. However, a quarter of this lordship was under the feudal suzerainty of the House of Saxe-Römhild. The Greiffenclau family held the castle until 1789. Subsequently, the property changed owners several times. When the last castle heir, Helmut Riehl, fell on the Eastern Front in World War II in 1942, the entire property was transferred to a foundation under the trusteeship of the Bavarian Red Cross. After the war, the estate was converted into an orphanage. From 1980, extensive renovation measures on the building fabric began. Today, the castle is again in private ownership and was offered for sale again in 2006.
The core of the main building dates back to the 16th/17th century and was probably rebuilt and extended from 1714 under the Würzburg Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Greiffenclau. Greiffenclau had shortly before also had a representative country castle built in nearby Gereuth. These construction measures probably served as a capital investment out of fear of a devaluation of the Franconian gulden, which had reached a high value at that time.
Until 1960, the "Old Castle" was located to the south of the main building. However, the two-story Renaissance building with its high gabled roof and distinctive volute gables fell victim to the pickaxe before it could be listed as a protected monument. (Views in the inventory volume). However, the building probably served as an administrator's house from the beginning, so the designation "Old Castle" is likely misleading.
Description+
The L-shaped, three-story castle building is topped by a hip roof with dormers. Simple exterior articulation consists of profiled window frames, rusticated corner pilasters, and string courses between the floors. The two main floors sit on the lower ground floor, which, as a typical "bastard floor," contained the utility rooms and the servants' quarters. The main entrance with its broken triangular pediment is located in the middle of the south wing. The wall surfaces are plastered in a light ochre tone, while the architectural elements have been left in visible stone. On the park side, a high, angled terrace on four arcade arches is set in front of the castle, crowned by a balustrade with spherical finials. At ground level, there is another terrace, and two baroque statue groups flank the passage. This rich ornamental architecture stands in striking contrast to the otherwise rather simple appearance of the country estate and is certainly a later addition.
Inside, the mighty, two-flight grand staircase in the west wing is particularly noteworthy. Some baroque wooden doors and a Renaissance fireplace in the east wing are still preserved from the original furnishings.
The castle entrance is framed by single-story outbuildings. To the right, a coach house, and to the left, the orangery complete the ensemble. In the castle courtyard, a picturesque, four-column well house with a stone dome protects the old well or cistern system.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 50.1914, 10.7637