Köthen Castle

The Köthen Castle is a building complex in the heart of the city of Köthen (Anhalt), which served as the residence of Prince of Anhalt 1244-1847. From 1603 it was the seat of Anhalt- Köthen line.

History

Traces of a medieval castle can be dated to the Slavs time. Albert the Bear captured it for Ascanians. A first castle is 1396 source terms mentioned.

The older, inner castle area consists of the Johann- Georg- construction (1597-1599) and the Ludwigsbau, which was built after a devastating fire by brothers Peter and Franz Niuron from Lugano 1600-1608. Here is the two hundred years later, designed by Christian Gottfried band Hauer throne room, which is now called the Hall of Mirrors. It has a white, green and ocher-colored stucco, about a cashed ceiling. Band Hauer was also the architect of the 1823 built Ferdinand construction. The stair tower was adapted to the towers of Ludwig construction. The ensemble is completed by gatehouse and Steinernem house.

The horseshoe-shaped outer castle area was begun with the Marstall 1766 in the style of the Rococo, supplemented by the 1833 built coach house and built in 1821 riding hall that burned down in 1940. In the ruins of the former riding hall, a multifunctional event center was built from 2004 to 2008.

After the extinction of Köthener Prince line in 1847, the Duke of Anhalt- Dessau inherited the Köthen Castle. This could remove all the furniture and set up in the castle several state offices as well as a the district court Köthen. In Ludwigsbau a high school was opened in 1878. Also in 1878 a prison building was erected on the east side of the castle, which was demolished in 1991 to restore the original state of construction.

During the Second World War, the northern half of the west wing of the castle was destroyed by a direct hit by a bomb attack on Köthen on 20 July 1944. Also, the eastern extension to the gatehouse was destroyed. The ruins were cleared away.

In the Stone House now located the city archives Köthen and the storage rooms of museums. The Ferdinandsbau houses since 2002, in addition the Prehistoric Collection of Köthener country. In Johann George's building sits since 1984, the music school " Johann Sebastian Bach" Köthen / Anhalt. In Ludwigsbau reside the Historical Museum for Central Anhalt and the Bach memorial.

The chapel was used for worship until 1870. The baroque room then served the Ludwigsgymnasium as gymnastics and ballroom. For this purpose, the chapel was filled to the height of the courtyard with the excavation of the new prison. 1961 to 1963 this population was again removed and the original interior design restored. Another restoration took place from 1989 to 1991, the gallery balustrade with four pillars -. Designed by Johann Michael Hoppe Main ( 1725) - taken from the ruins of the village church Oberbeuna ( Geisel ), which has now been converted into a community center. The organ ( by Johann Christoph Zuber beer) was originally created around 1735 or 1754 for the Church in Thurau and built from 1986 to 1989 in the castle chapel.

The hall of mirrors is subjected from 2011 a general refurbishment. As a replacement venue is then used to set up in the ruins of the riding hall 2008 multi-purpose event hall with the " Johann- Sebastian -Bach -Saal " (450 seats), the " Anna Magdalena Bach -Saal " (160 ), the " Maria Barbara Bach room " ( 60) and the " Wilhelm Friedemann Bach -Saal " ( 120) and the Café" Leopold ".

Köthen Castle was located since 1918 in the possession of the city of Köthen and went in 1997 in the inventory of state-owned foundation cathedrals and castles in Saxony- Anhalt.

Others

The Köthen Castle was the fruit -bearing Society, the first German language club, which was founded in 1617 in Weimar since 1629 seat. Ludwig of Anhalt- Köthen (1579-1650) was her co-founder and lifelong " head ".

Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Köthen 1717-1723 as court conductor Leopold of Anhalt- Köthen and created here parts of his Brandenburg concertos and his cycle The Well-Tempered Clavier. A Bach memorial is located in the Ludwigsbau.

The Ferdinandsbau is the seat of the ornithological collection of Johann Friedrich Naumann ( 1780-1857 ). Naumann is considered the founder of this science.

The castle courtyard, the Hall of Mirrors, the chapel and the café spaces are on a rental basis used by external promoters.