Ruins of Großhennersdorf Castle

Wasserburg & Schloss Großhennersdorf
Untere Dorfstrasse 3
02747 Herrnhut OT Großhennersdorfhistorical
Großhennersdorf was already a manor in 1296, which was mentioned in 1422 as a knight's seat. A medieval moated castle probably already existed here. The first mention as a manor was in 1563, while a castle was first mentioned in 1587. A fire destroyed it extensively in 1657. When the von Gersdorff family came into possession of the castle in 1676, extensive conversions and expansions took place. The pond was drained while a walled park and orangery were laid out. After the death of Henriette von Gersdorff, the manor was transferred to the Moravian Unity in 1741. A decade and a half later, the park was lost.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Schloss Großhennersdorf served as a camp for the Prussian army. In 1857 and 1858 urgently needed renovation work was carried out. In this context, the castle received a new roof shape. At the end of 1868 the building suffered storm damage. It was subsequently used temporarily for church services during the construction of the new church. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries farm workers lived in parts of the castle.
French prisoners were housed here during the First World War. In 1930 the castle, which was still owned by the Brethren, was converted into a youth hostel. In 1937, the Wehrmacht took over the castle together with the manor that had been converted into a remonte manor. The decay of the castle progressed due to lack of use and maintenance measures.After 1945
Due to the structural condition, the palace was closed by the building authorities in 1946. Nevertheless, more refugee families moved in. The FDJ set up a youth home on the ground floor and the castle was ultimately inhabited until 1952, when it was increasingly used for building material. After part of the tower collapsed in 1977/1978, demolition work began.
Source:sachsens-schloesser.de