Thiergarten Castle

After the area in Thiergarten had served the Margraves of Brandenburg-Bayreuth for hunting for a long time, Margrave Christian Ernst finally had a small first hunting lodge built. His successor, Margrave Georg Wilhelm, who also became known for his active building activities in St. Georgen am See, had the small castle replaced by a more solid new building. This complex has been preserved to this day. The master builder was Johann David Räntz.

Hunting as a status symbol and important social event was also cultivated under the subsequent margraves, although Margrave Friedrich had a more modern complex for the time, the Kaiserhammer hunting lodge, created. A special attraction was the bear hunt, for which bears were specially purchased, which could, for example, be captured alive on the Waldstein in the specially constructed bear trap. The castle in Thiergarten finally lost its original function at the latest at the beginning of the 19th century with the demolition of the left wing and served agricultural purposes for a long time.

The wealthy manufacturer family Bayerlein took over the decaying building in 1922 and ensured its renovation, building on its rich history. The buyer Adolf Bayerlein, the owner of the Bayreuth spinning mill, was a member of the Historical Association for Upper Franconia.

In the early 1980s, the city of Bayreuth acquired it with the support of numerous donors. In 2010, the ensemble was initially offered for sale, but then it was decided that a new international school should be built there.