Manor Dannenwalde known as Herrenhaus Dannenwalde is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

located in the village of Dannenwalde (Gransee),

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

(eastern Germany). It was built in the late seventeenth century and was transformed over the centuries, most recently in 1937. The manor consists of a main building flanked by two wings that thus form a courtyard. Opposite the main entrance is a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

(1821), in its axis, which houses the tombs of the von Waldow family, owner, until 1945. The mansion is being restored.

History

Initially Dannenwalde was in the territory of what became the

Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard), ...

. Its owners in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

were the

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

s of

Prignitz Prignitz () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are (from the north clockwise) the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, th ...

. It was in 1692 that the area was acquired by Waldow, from Brandenburg, and it remain in their ownership will remain until their expulsion in 1945. One of the last owners was the

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Wilhelm von Waldow Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Moun ...

(1856-1937). The painter and poet

Alexander von Ungern-Sternberg Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (22 April 1806 – 24 August 1869) also known as Alexander von Sternberg, was a Baltic German novelist, poet and painter who worked under the pseudonym Sylvan. He was born on 22 April 1806 in G ...

(1806-1868) died there. He married Caroline von Waldow and he died with his brother, Franz von Waldow,

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

to the

Prussian court The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

. In 1692 the guardians of Ernst Friedrich pledged by book the estate at the Mecklenburg Kammerrat Adolf Friedrich von Waldow, who was in 1707 invested so. Rolf Hansen (1904-1990) used the castle as a setting in 1941 for his film ''Der Weg ins Freie'' based on the novel by

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

(1908). The film shows the Castle just prior to its being looted and the decrepitude of the postwar period. However although the castle was sacked after the war, it was not completely destroyed. During the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

it became a

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

named Karl Sperling-Oberschule after the German Communist resistance fighter. An association of the Friends of Nature acquired it in 1990 to house bicycle hikers, but the main building remains empty, despite the restoration of the roof. The wings are home accommodation and the mansion is still being restored. The chapel is restored.Sabine Bock: Herrschaftliche Wohnhäuser auf den Gütern und Domänen in Mecklenburg-Strelitz. (Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin 200)8, , 1. Band, p.188. Image:Herrenhaus Dannenwalde Gartenfront.JPG, Main Building in 2007 Image:Schloss Dannenwalde (Luftbild 1).jpg, The manor in 2008 Image:Schloss Dannenwalde (Luftbild 2).jpg, Toit du corps de logis, côté cour d'honneur Image:Herrenhaus dannenwalde gesamtansicht.jpg, La cour d'honneur Image:Lageplan dannenwalde 1759.jpg, Plan of Dannenwalde (1759) Image:Dannenwalde Church.jpg, chapel of the cyclists Image:Dannenwalde hausaufschrift.jpg, Latin inscription of Psalm 121 on the pediment of the Dannenwalde Manor House

References

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