Neuhaus Castle

Schloss Neuhaus (also Gut Neuhaus) is a listed, representative building in the Steinkirchen district of Lübben. It is the seat of the Dahme-Spreewald District Music School.

The building was erected in 1801 as a single-story plastered building in Biedermeier style on the site of a predecessor building and rests on a high plinth. The facade is divided into a central risalit and side risalits. On the garden side there is a portico, on the courtyard side there is a balcony leading to the driveway. The house stands on a small hill and is surrounded by gardens. The architect is unknown. It may have been a student of Friedrich Gilly.

The interior decoration is neoclassical. Noteworthy is the central octagonal domed hall, which extends through all floors and is topped by a light dome.

From 1822 to 1845, the poet and reformer Christoph Ernst von Houwald lived and worked in Schloss Neuhaus, which he acquired on June 2, 1822, for 9,000 thalers. A memorial plaque on the house commemorates him. During this time, Schloss Neuhaus developed into a meeting place for well-known personalities. Bettina and Achim von Arnim, Emanuel Geibel, Adelbert von Chamisso, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, Ludwig Tieck, Franz Grillparzer, Julius Eduard Hitzig and the brothers Christian Jakob and Karl Wilhelm Salice-Contessa were among the guests of the house. The latter, a friend of Houwald's, lived in the castle from 1821 to 1824. Christoph Ernst von Houwald was buried near the village church of Steinkirchen. Houwald's widow, Auguste von Houwald, sold the estate in 1845 to her nephew and district administrator Karl von Houwald. After his death in 1883, his widow Veronica von Houwald lived in the manor house until 1913. It was then acquired by Franz von Poncet, who, however, fell in the First World War in 1914. Neuhaus passed to the Estates of the Margraviate of Lower Lusatia, who leased it out. In 1931, Albrecht and Helene von Houwald leased the house. The later German diplomat Götz von Houwald (1913–2001) lived in Schloss Neuhaus for some time in his youth.

After the Second World War, homeless Lübben residents and refugees were accommodated in the building. A children's home is also said to have been partially housed there. Around 1960, it was converted into a school after-school care center for the Steinkirchen school. Two classrooms were also set up. The building's substance had deteriorated significantly, so it stood empty from 1986. The planned demolition did not take place because VEB Bau Lübben had no capacities available.

After the political change of 1989, initial Sicherungsmaßnahmen (securing measures) were taken in 1990. The roof truss on the north side was supported as a collapse was feared. The foundation wall was drained. Extensive renovation and conversion work then took place until 1994. After the complete renewal of the roof truss, a topping-out ceremony was celebrated on December 11, 1992. The Red and Blue Halls, as well as the Dome Hall, which existed during Ernst von Houwald's lifetime, were restored. Already at Christmas 1993, the music school held its first concert in the Dome Hall. The official inauguration of Neuhaus, however, was not until December 20, 1996, and Götz von Houwald also participated. Later, an outbuilding was constructed for garages and other rooms for tenants. The garden was restored to its 19th-century appearance.

Today, the house houses a permanent exhibition about Houwald's circle of poets in a Houwald memorial room. The Albrecht and Helene von Houwald Music Prize is also regularly awarded here. In addition to the district music school, the building is also used by a regional office of the Spreewaldverein and two apartments. Schloss Neuhaus is also a regular venue for concerts and exhibitions.