Schloss Scharfenberg 20070329085DR

''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.

Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate word ''slot''/''slott'' is normally used for what in English could be either a palace or a castle (instead of words in rarer use such as ''palats''/''palæ'', ''kastell'', or ''borg''). In Dutch, the word ''slot'' is considered to be more archaic. Nowadays, one commonly uses ''paleis'' or ''kasteel''. But in English, the term does not appear, for instance, in the United Kingdom, this type of structure would be known as a stately home or country house.

Most ''Schlösser'' were built after the Middle Ages as residences for the nobility, not as true fortresses, although originally, they often were fortified. The usual German term for a true castle is ''burg'', that for a fortress is ''festung'', and — the slightly more archaic term — ''veste''. However, many castles were called ''schloss'', especially those that were adapted as residences after they lost their defensive significance. Many adaptations took into account new tastes arising during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Like a castle, a ''schloss'' often is surrounded by a moat and then, it is called a ''Wasserschloss'' (water castle). Other related structure types include the '' Stadtschloss'' (a city palace), the '' Jagdschloss'' (a hunting lodge), and the '' Lustschloss'' (a pleasure palace or summer residence).

Examples of ''schlösser''

Although they appeared much earlier than the period defined by the term, sometimes, medieval Carolingian '' Kaiserpfalzen'' structures are considered as being ''Schlösser'' in nature. Among those that would qualify are, the Palace of Aachen and the Imperial Palace of Goslar.

;Gothic
* Schloss Albrechtsburg in Meißen, considered to be Germany's oldest ''Schloss''Schloss Albrechtsburg
/ref>
* Schloss Allner
* Schloss Blutenburg in Munich, a "castle" in English, but a ''Schloss'' in German

;Renaissance
* Schloss Glücksburg
* Schloss Güstrow
* Schloss Johannisburg
* Schloss Mespelbrunn
* Schloss Neuburg

;Baroque
* Schloss Belvedere in Vienna
* Schloss Esterhazy in Eisenstadt
* Schloss Hellbrunn in Salzburg
* Schloss Ludwigsburg
* Schloss Ludwigslust
* Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg
* Schloss Moritzburg
* Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich
* Schloss Pillnitz
* Stadtschloss Potsdam
* Schloss Rastatt
* Schloss Sanssouci
* Schloss Schleißheim in Oberschleißheim, a northern suburb of Munich
* Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna
* Schloss Schwetzingen

;Neo-Baroque
* Schloss Linderhof
* Schloss Herrenchiemsee

;Neoclassicism
* Schloss Charlottenhof
* Schloss Glienicke
* Schloss Weimar
* Schloss Wilhelmshöhe
* Schloss Bellevue

;Historicism
* Schloss Babelsberg
* Schloss Callenberg
* Schloss Drachenburg
* Schloss Granitz
* Schloss Marienburg
* Orangerieschloss Potsdam
* Schloss Schwerin
* Schloss Stolzenfels
* Burg Hohenzollern, a "castle" both in English and German, when really a fully-flung ''Schloss''
* Schloss Ringberg in Kreuth, Bavaria

;Cross overs
(Relating to places in use for long periods of times, having been extended and perhaps having had renovations in different styles than those of their respective eras – and therefore, displaying at least two and often, multiple styles)
* Stadtschloss Berlin
* Münchner Residenz
* Schloss Weilburg

Note

In another context, ''Schloss'' is also the German word for a lock.

See also

* Burg (disambiguation)
* Festung
* Residenz

References

External links

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*{{Commonscat-inline, Castles in Germany, ''Schloss''

Buildings and structures by type
*
Architecture in Germany