Fallersleben Castle

Geschichte

Fallersleben Castle is located in Wolfsburg in the German state of Lower Saxony and, together with Neuhaus and Wolfsburg Castles, is one of the most important historic buildings in the town. It is in the district of Fallersleben and forms an historic setting along with the castle lake, St. Michael's Church and the Old Brewery.ConstructionThe castle was built from 1520–51, after its predecessor had been destroyed during the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud (1518–23). It was originally laid out as a horseshoe with the courtyard open on its south side. By 1760 the castle was surrounded by a moat, about 12 metres wide and 5 metres deep. Access was only possible over two bridges. One bridge and a section of moat was reconstructed in 1998 on the basis of archaeological excavations. Before that its water castle character was scarcely recognisable because the moats had been filled in. Of the original three wings of the castle, only the west wing, with its spiral staircase tower, in the inner courtyard has been preserved. It is a timber-framed building about 40 metres long on a stone foundation. There is also a royal court, the Kavaliershaus.In the old castle buildings there were 16 living rooms (parlour (Hofestube), bed chamber (Schlafkammer), apartment (Gemach), young ladies room (Jungfrauen-Stube)) as well as the rooms for officials, kitchen staff (Wirtschaftspersonal), the armoury (Rüstkammer) and silver room (Silberkammer) of the ducal seat. Numerous outbuildings belonged to the castle, such as the Old Brewery, and extensive estates that were later converted into a ducal domain (Domäne). In 2001–03 Fallersleben Castle was renovated in line with its status as a listed building.