Schloss Wolfenbüttel is a castle in

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, Germany. An extensive four-wing complex, it originated as a moated castle (''Wasserburg''). It is the second-largest surviving ''schloss'' in Lower Saxony and served as the main residence of the rulers of the

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel () was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose history was characterised by numerous divisions and reunifications. It had an area of 3,828 square kilometres in the mid 17th century. Va ...

from 1432 to 1753. It now houses a ''gymnasium'' secondary school, the Federal Academy of Arts Education, and a museum with its historic rooms on display. Its immediate vicinity is home to several historically significant buildings including the

Herzog August Bibliothek The Herzog August Library ( — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, known also as ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', is a library of international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The library is overseen ...

, the Lessinghaus, the

Zeughaus The Zeughaus (, ''Arsenal'') is a listed building and the oldest structure on Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin. Erected from 1695 to 1706 according to plans by Johann Arnold Nering, Martin Grünberg, ...

, and the Kleines Schloss.

History

Middle Ages

It was first recorded in 1074 and was built as a fort on the river

Oker The Oker () is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller (Germany), Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction. Origin and meanin ...

by Widekind of Wolfenbüttel, recorded between 1089 and 1118. In the Oker marshes there was already a small settlement known as ''Wulferisbuttle'', sited on a trade route between the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

and

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

and the bishoprics of

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

and

Hildesheim Hildesheim (; or ; ) is a city in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim (district), Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of t ...

, used by both merchants and pilgrim monks. In 1191, the castle was destroyed by duke

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty. Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...

, the head of the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...

and brother-in-law of King

Richard Lionheart Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

. It was then rebuilt by the Wolfenbüttel lords. When Gunzelin of Wolfenbüttel refused to swear allegiance to

Albert I of Brunswick Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street ...

in 1255, the latter destroyed the fort again, and he also chased Gunzelin's son Burchard of Asseburg from nearby Asseburg Castle, after a siege of three years ending in 1258. Wolfenbüttel Castle was rebuilt by

Henry I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Henry I (August 1267 – 7 September 1322), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called the Admirable (, ), a member of the House of Welf, was the first ruler of the Principality of Grubenhagen from 1291 until his death. Life He was the eldest son of ...

in 1283. The current layout of the castle, its moat, and the lower levels and dungeon of the keep all date from Henry's time.

16th and 17th centuries

In 1350 it became the Welfs' residence in Brunswick. It was captured and destroyed in 1542 by the

Schmalkaldic League The Schmalkaldic League (; ; or ) was a military alliance of Lutheranism, Lutheran Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, principalities and cities within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. It received its name from the town of Schm ...

and rebuilding only began in 1553 under Duke Henry the Younger, who created a new residence and converted the old tower into a castle chapel. In 1575 courtyards were added with Italianate arcades. In 1595 the Protestant composer

Michael Praetorius Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and Music theory, music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of ...

became private secretary to

Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Henry Julius (; 15 October 1564 – 30 July 1613), a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruling Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1589 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of ...

, living in the castle. As court organist, he is also known to have played the castle organ, completed in 1596. Henry Julius also founded Germany's first indoor permanent theatre in the castle, with an English troupe of actors, making the town the birthplace of German theatre. The castle previously had more towers, some of whose foundations survive. The Hausmannsturm was built in the Renaissance style in 1613 by Paul Francke. The castle's tallest tower, it still stands today. Duke Augustus moved to the castle in 1642 and between 1641 and 1643 also granted

Conrad Buno Conrad Buno (–1671), was a German copperplate engraver, cartographer and publisher at the court of Wolfenbüttel (Guelpherbytum) and brother of Johann Buno (1617–1697), the theologian and pedagogue from Lüneburg Lüneburg, of ...

a room there; Buno created several copperplate images of the castle. It was damaged during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. Between 1690 and 1697 the castle underwent a major renovation during which its great halls were converted into residential chambers for the dukes. Between 1714 and 1716 architect

Hermann Korb Hermann Korb (1656, Niese (near Lügde) - 23 December 1735, Wolfenbüttel) was a German architect who worked mainly in the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Life Little is known of his early life. It is generally believed that he starte ...

added a new Baroque timber-framed facade to the castle. The stone entrance gate and the sculptures by Austrian Franz Finck on the bridge and along the moat all also date to this period. The sculptures embody the dukes' virtues and duties.

Later life

The ducal court relocated to Brunswick in 1753, leaving the castle empty. When

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...

was appointed librarian at the nearby

Herzog August Library The Herzog August Library ( — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, known also as ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', is a library of international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The library is overseen ...

in 1770, the Duke assigned him some rooms on the first floor of the castle. Lessing spent five years in them but, After marrying

Eva König Eva Catharina König née Hahn (22 March 1736 - 10 January 1778) was a German woman letter writer. Life Eva Hahn was born in 1736 in Heidelberg. She was one of six children born to Eva and Heinrich Hahn. In 1756, she married the Hamburg busi ...

in 1776, he moved with his wife into the Meißnerhaus next door to the castle, before moving in 1777 to the Schäffersche Haus, later known as Lessinghaus. During this period he wrote ''

Emilia Galotti ''Emilia Galotti'' () is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781), which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Braunschweig, Brunswick (''Braunschweig'' in German). The work is an example of German ''bürgerliches Trauerspiel'' (bourg ...

'' (1772) and ''

Nathan the Wise ''Nathan the Wise'' (original German title: , ) is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was never performed during Lessing's lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsches ...

'' (1779). A girls' school, the Anna-Vorwerk-Schule, was founded in the castle buildings in 1866.

20th and 21st centuries

Today part of the castle is a museum preserving the state apartments and reception rooms from 1690 to 1740 in their original state and exhibiting many paintings and furniture, most on loan from Prince Ernst August of Hanover. There is also an exhibition of upper- and middle-class objects from 1700 to the present day. In 1969 the Gymnasium im Schloss (GiS) was founded in the castle buildings. The school's language laboratory and the Hausmannsturm were damaged by fire and so were restored as part of the museum. Since 1991 the castle has also housed the administration buildings of the Bundesakademie für kulturelle Bildung Wolfenbüttel, whilst the amateur theatre group "kleine bühne Wolfenbüttel e.V." puts on shows in the castle courtyards during the town's annual KulturSommer summer festival. That festival also includes concerts by the Posaunenchor Wolfenbüttel brass band in the Hausmannsturm, featuring music by Praetorius and other composers. Four times a year the courtyards also host the Die Wolfenbüttler eV, who re-enact the Baroque changing of the guard by the Ducal Guards.Schlosswache Wolfenbüttel
/ref> A Baroque reenactor also plays a dance-master once a month, giving tours of the museum. In 2011 the castle was a filming location for '' Lessons of a Dream''.

Bibliography (in German)

* Peter Albrecht, Simon Paulus: ''Hermann Korb und seine Zeit. Barockes Bauen im Fürstentum Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel.'' Hrsg. vom Museum im Schloss Wolfenbüttel und dem Fachgebiet Baugeschichte der Technischen Universität Braunschweig, Appelhans, Braunschweig 2006. * Horst Appuhn: ''Schloß Wolfenbüttel'' ( Große Baudenkmäler, Heft 183). München/Berlin 1964 * Grote, Hans-Henning u. Mitarbeiter: ''Schloss Wolfenbüttel. Residenz der Herzöge zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2005. * Rolf Hagen: ''Schloß Wolfenbüttel'' (Große Baudenkmäler, Heft 325). 2. Auflage, München/Berlin 1986

References

Schloss ''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 cogn ...

category:Renaissance architecture in Germany category:Baroque architecture in Lower Saxony category:Castles in Lower Saxony