Stadthagen Castle

Instead of a moated castle built in 1222, the beginning of the 16th century a modern "residential palace" incorporating the medieval gate building. Until 1607 the palace served as residence for the Counts of Schaumburg. Later it became the widow's seat or residence of the hereditary prince. The magnificent building is adorned by stately arched gables, which are filled with balls. In the early days of the Weser Renaissance, this four-wing complex was considered the oldest and most important of its kind in Lower Saxony. Today the Stadthäger Castle is the seat of the tax office.

Don't be shy just go into the courtyard and be amazed! Unless the gate is closed!

Stadthagen Castle of the then reigning Counts and later Princes of Schaumburg-Lippe was built in the years 1535-1539 by Count Adolf XI. erected in Stadthagen on the site of a previous plant. It was a moated castle built in 1224, which Count Adolf III. built by Schaumburg in a clearing in the Dülwald.The castle, which was first attested in 1244, must have been part of the founding of the city from the beginning, as both of its streets are based on it. For the period around 1300 extensive building activities are attested. 1304 a "house" on the castle is mentioned. 1406 three Burgmannen are mentioned. The 15th-century gatehouse was later incorporated into the west wing of the castle.The new construction of the castle from 1535 was planned and built by master builder Jörg Unkair, who came from Lustnau near Tübingen and had previously worked at the Cistercian monastery in Bebenhausen. He chose the Obernkirchen sandstone himself in the Bückeberg near Obernkirchen. The residential palace was designed as a spacious, square four-wing complex, the north-west corner of which remained open to the city. The dwellings and winged gables - Welsche Giebel - are similar to those of the Schelenburg near Osnabrück, which Unkair had previously built. However, since in Stadthagen, unlike the Schelenburg, he did not need to consider the remains of the castle from the Middle Ages, the castle not only looks friendly on the inside, but also on the outside. It was built purely as a residential palace without military duties.After completion in 1539, the government of the state of Schaumburg moved in the following year; the tax and financial authorities also had their headquarters here. In 1608, the government and residence of the Counts of Schaumburg was relocated to Bückeburg. The castle later served as a widow's residence and the residence of the hereditary prince. A comprehensive restoration took place in 1875. After the First World War, the castle became the property of the newly founded Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1919, and since 1946 it has belonged to the state of Lower Saxony.The castle is considered the oldest and most influential monument of the Weser Renaissance in Lower Saxony.
Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Stadthagen