Ponitz Castle

The place was probably originally founded by Slavic settlers, which explains the old spelling Ponicz. In 1254, Ponitz Castle and its owner Fridericus de Ponicz were first mentioned in a document, as he was named as a witness to a donation. In 1349, historical records speak of a church and an outwork. After Abraham von Thumbshirn purchased the manor in 1568, the medieval moated castle was replaced in 1574 by a Renaissance building, which can still be visited today. The most significant owner of Ponitz Castle was Wolfgang Konrad von Thumbshirn, who, as a diplomat, co-signed the peace treaty ending the Thirty Years' War in 1648 and was also instrumental in its creation. This was also the reason to plant the so-called Peace Linden at the Dreierhäuschen in 1650. In 1945, the owners were dispossessed and expelled by the communists. Towards the end of the GDR era, the castle was in a deplorable structural condition; rain leaked through several floors. The ballroom had to be closed by building authorities in 1987. Since the 1990s, the castle has been restored, and in 2000, the ballroom could be re-inaugurated.