Tax Office
CastleStadthagen
Stadthagen Castle
Stadthagen Castle, belonging to the then ruling Count and later Princely House of Schaumburg-Lippe, was built between 1535 and 1539 by Count Adolf XI in Stadthagen on the site of a predecessor complex. This was a moated castle built in 1224 by Count Adolf III of Schaumburg in a clearing in the Dülwald forest.
The new construction of the castle from 1535 onwards was planned and built by master builder Jörg Unkair, who came from Lustnau near Tübingen and had previously worked at the Cistercian monastery of Bebenhausen. He personally selected the sandstone from the Bückeberg near Obernkirchen. The residential castle was designed as a spacious square four-wing complex, with its northwest corner remaining open towards the town. The dormer windows and wing gables – "Welsche Giebel" (Italianate gables) – resemble those of Schelenburg Castle near Osnabrück, which Unkair had previously built. However, since in Stadthagen, unlike at Schelenburg, he did not have to consider the medieval castle remains, the castle appears friendly not only inwards but also outwards. It was built as a pure residential castle without defensive functions.
After its completion in 1539, the Schaumburg regional government moved in the following year; the tax and finance authority also established its seat here. In 1608, the seat of government and residence of the Schaumburg counts was moved to Bückeburg. Later, the castle served as a widow's residence and the residence of the hereditary prince. A comprehensive restoration took place in 1875. After the First World War, the castle became the property of the newly founded Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1919, and since 1946, of the State of Lower Saxony.
Architectural Description+
The castle is considered the oldest and most influential architectural monument of the Weser Renaissance in Lower Saxony.
Like almost all Renaissance buildings in Central Europe, Stadthagen Castle was originally plastered on the outside. Presumably, the walls were covered with a white lime wash, which allowed the relief of the irregular masonry to shimmer through. The surrounds of the windows and portals were probably painted red. In 1874, the plaster was removed. An impression of the castle's former appearance is conveyed today by the stair tower in the courtyard, whose original exterior coloring was reconstructed during the castle's renovation in 1975.
The castle complex also includes a former stable, a washhouse, a cavalier's house, and a tithe barn, which were also built in the 16th century in the Weser Renaissance style. The tithe barn is to be developed into a diverse event center from 2008. At the corner of the coach house building, there is an old sundial from 1697. Furthermore, north of the castle, there is a small tower from the former city fortifications dating from the fortress era. Overall, the buildings around the castle, including the Landsberg Court and the nearby princely mausoleum, form a high-quality Weser Renaissance ensemble.
Of interest are the relief-decorated magnificent fireplaces by the Flemish sculptor Arend Robin located in the south wing: "Triumph of the Elements" (1576), "The Four Seasons," and "Triumph of Bacchus" (1604).
Today, the castle houses the tax office of Stadthagen. In the early 21st century, the sandstone facade of the castle was renovated, and in 2006, work began on renovating the foundation of the balcony with an attached terrace on the south side, as well as replacing the old windows with new mullioned windows. The next project is the establishment of a new attractive reception area in a large room in the eastern wing of the building by spring 2008.
A visit to the castle is possible by prior arrangement with the tax office.
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