Landgrave Castle Rotenburg

The first fortified castle already existed here on the banks of the Fulda in 1470, built by Landgrave Ludwig II. It was destroyed in the great city fire of 1478 and rebuilt. At times it was the landgrave's widow's residence and a popular summer residence for the landgraves. Around 100 years later, the palace was rebuilt by Landgrave Wilhelm IV and only completed in 1607 by his son Landgrave Moritz. From 1627 to 1834, the Kassel side line Hessen-Rotenburg resided here. The building originally had four wings, but the park wing was demolished under Landgrave Karl Emanuel around 1790 due to dilapidation. The coats of arms of the former landgraves can still be seen above the entrances. In 1953 the building became state property and since then the State Finance School of the State of Hesse has been housed here.

The castle in its current form - now the seat of the Finance School of the State of Hesse - dates from various eras. The four wings of the landgrave's castle once stood around a square inner courtyard directly on the banks of the Fulda. The Hessian Landgrave Wilhelm IV began construction of the current castle in 1570. It was not until 37 years later, during the reign of Landgrave Moritz, that the castle was completed in the Renaissance style. Of the original four-wing complex with four characteristic stair towers in the corners of the courtyard, only three wings remain. The current complex is open to the east. The buildings are two or three storeys high. The second floor, made of half-timbering, was subsequently added. The south wing has retained its original Renaissance style the most. The north wing was built in the contemporary Empire style after 1790 to replace the Renaissance wing that was demolished with the castle chapel. The old library, which extends over two floors, is particularly worth seeing. The books are now in the Corvey monastery near Höxter.
Source: mer-rotenburg.de/infokarte-gehenswertes-kunst-und-kultur/#schloss

The castle park, which has only been open to the general public for around 100 years, is home to botanical features from all over the world.The Rotenburg castle park was created in the 16th century and has undergone many changes over the course of its history.Most interventions have been to its detriment. Located in the middle of the city, it has repeatedly been a preferred building site for municipal and state buildings.For many years, Ms. Brigitte Hallenberger has been working on identifying trees and shrubs that have survived these interventions as exotic species and were often in danger of being removed. Many specimens certainly date back to the Landgrave era, but nothing is known about when they were planted. Some are very rare and cannot even be found in the Wilhelmshöhe mountain park today.More exotic plants are to be planted in the coming years, thus helping to raise awareness of the castle park in the old Landgrave town of Rotenburg a. d. Fulda among the people of Rotenburg and its guests. (Source: deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com/poi/rotenburger-schlosspark)