Protected by the Elbe, a round castle was built on a flood-free spot in the 13th century. Little is known of the buildings made of field stones and bricks. The foundations of a round tower were proven during excavations in the fortress courtyard. The building substance of the main hall and of a tower a few meters further to the west is still present in the lower area of today's museum building.
Shortly after the fortress was abandoned, some of the buildings were expanded with apartments or used as administrative buildings. The former building of the asylum and asylum was demolished and a dam was built using the rubble to replace the access bridge at the entrance to the fortress. A fairground was built in the courtyard in the 1920s.
In 1953 a museum on the region and town of Dömitz was opened in the commandant's house. Due to its close proximity to the inner-German border, Dömitz was in the restricted area and the citadel was not accessible to foreign visitors. This only changed in 1973 with the abolition of the restricted area for Dömitz and the introduction of small border traffic. The inner courtyard, the local history museum and the Burg Bastion were again accessible to the general public. In 1975 the citadel was placed under a preservation order. The border fortifications on the Elbe side were expanded further beforehand. The glacis was partially leveled and the windows of the bastions walled up, which, due to the lack of ventilation, led to an increase in moisture and the associated frost damage to the masonry.
After reunification, the citadel was renovated and has since been used as a museum and event location for cultural purposes. (Source: Wikipedia)