To be privately owned
CastleDresden-Wachwitz
Wachwitz Castle
Wachwitz Castle is a castle in the former royal vineyard on the Elbe slope of Wachwitz in Dresden.
It is located on an approximately 27-hectare site at Wachwitz Höhenpark. In addition to the castle and the Royal Villa, it also includes the Wachwitz Rhododendron Garden and numerous outbuildings.
1824: Construction of the Palace
Crown Prince Friedrich August, who lived in Niederpoyritz, acquired three vineyards in Wachwitz in 1824 and built a palace as his summer residence.
1892: The Royal Villa
From 1892 to 1893, the palace was demolished and, according to plans by Wilhelm Teichgräber, the Royal Villa, a building constructed in the Neo-Renaissance style, was erected on the same site. From 1894 onwards, it served as the residence for Crown Prince Friedrich August. After his accession to the throne in 1904, it served him and his family as a summer residence.
1936: Construction of the Castle
The actual Wachwitz Castle was built from 1936 to 1937 by Max Hans Kühne above the Royal Villa. It served as the residence of Friedrich Christian von Sachsen from the House of Wettin. In 1945, the Wettins were dispossessed.
after 1945: Further Use
After 1945, the castle and villa were used by the Soviet military as the administrative seat of the "Soviet Military Administration". From 1947 to 1949, it served as the "Intourist Hotel" for the Soviet travel agency. Thereafter, until 1990, the castle was an external branch of the "Wilhelm Pieck" Youth College for the training of FDJ cultural cadres. From 1990 to 1993, it was used as a conference center and guesthouse by the Medical Academy Dresden, followed by vacancy.
The Royal Villa served for the further education of teachers in the Dresden district until 1990. From 1990 to 1993, it was then the seat of the Saxon Academy for the Further Education of Teachers and Educators. This was followed by vacancy, renovation, and conversion into condominiums.
Today+
In 2002, the heirs of the House of Wettin asserted claims for restitution and sued the Free State. The claims were rejected by the Dresden Administrative Court in mid-2003. The House of Wettin subsequently filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg. In doing so, the Wettins refer, among other things, to a state treaty from 1924/25, according to which the entire property belongs to the private assets of the House of Wettin.
Through its state-owned company Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement, the Free State of Saxony tried for years unsuccessfully to sell the property to private investors. Since the castle and villa had been unused for years (the castle since 1994, the villa since 1997), the buildings visibly deteriorated. In July 2007, the Free State finally sold Wachwitz Castle to V.V.K. (Vermögensverwaltungskanzlei) Dresden. According to a press release from the Saxon Ministry of Finance, the area is primarily to be used for apartments. It was also contractually agreed that the Rhododendron Garden and the main hiking trails would remain accessible to the public.
From 2011 to the end of 2012, V.V.K. Dresden carried out the renovation of the castle and its conversion into 20 condominiums.
Park+
Near the castle lies the Rhododendron Park. It was opened on May 13, 1972, after two years of design and construction. The 10,000 m² park contains approximately 1000 rhododendrons of 200 varieties, 60 species, and many varieties of trees and ornamental shrubs. The project was realized by horticultural engineer Karl Scholz (1912-1983), who is considered the founder of the park, in collaboration with Dr. Werner Dähnhardt (Institute for Horticulture in Pillnitz) and landscape designer Dipl.-Gärtner Henke. They were supported by Prof. Siegfried Sommer (TU Dresden) and many volunteer helpers.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: Thomas Eichler
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: 51.0461, 13.8292