Castle to Hirschstein

Hirschstein, Germany, Germany

---

Schloss Hirschstein in Hirschstein, Saxony, Germany, likely originated around 968 as a border fortress under Otto I to secure the Elbe crossings and trade routes, first gifted in 1064 by Emperor Heinrich IV to the Bishop of Naumburg and mentioned with a knight Wicnandus de Herstein in 1205.

It changed hands among nobles like the Polenz, Haugwitz, and Felgenhauer families through wars, fires like the 1637 Swedish burning during the Thirty Years' War, and plagues, later owned by Zedlitz, Bork, and Kleist von Loss lines into the 19th century before Crusius and Busse owners until 1943 expropriation.

Used in WWII as a prison for Belgium's King Leopold III and family, then a Soviet hospital, post-war children's home and clinic until 2006 insolvency, it now belongs to Meißen district since 2009, managed by Hirschstein municipality amid preservation efforts.