The Ottoburg is an early baroque castle that served as a youth hostel between 1955 and 1990. It was built in two phases and stands on the medieval town fortifications. Of the two corner towers flanking the NE part, the smaller one dates back to ancient times. The former city wall is still clearly visible in the basement of the building, and there is also a stone commemorative plaque in the basement, which names the year of construction (1653) and the builder (Otto Hartmann von Schlitz, member of the "Fruit-bearing Society"). However, the Ottoburg only got its present form in 1681 from Otto Hartmann's son, Philipp Friedrich von Schlitz and his wife, Juliane Elisabetha von Minnigerode, whose double coat of arms can be seen above the baroque portal of the main entrance. During the construction of the Ottoburg, old battlements were demolished and part of the moat was also filled in. In addition, some houses located on the city wall had to be demolished. This led to considerable tensions with the citizens, which also had to do with the city's justice and especially with the privileges that the citizens of the inner city were entitled to.
After the Second World War, the Ottoburg served as an apartment for several displaced families. Today it is in private hands.
Source: historic city tour of Schlitz, point 9