Dankwarderode Castle

Braunschweig, Germany, Germany

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Dankwarderode Castle is a historic Saxon lowland castle on the Burgplatz in the center of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Lower Saxony, Germany, originally built between about 1160 and 1175 as the Pfalz residence of Duke Henry the Lion on an island in the Oker river.

It served for centuries as the ducal residence of the Brunswick line of the Welf dynasty and remained a key seat of power in the region until the princely court moved to Wolfenbüttel in the late 13th century. The structure was repeatedly damaged by fire and rebuilt over the centuries, then almost entirely reconstructed in a historicizing Romanesque style between 1887 and 1906 so that today it appears as a carefully restored medieval‑looking palace. 

The castle now houses the medieval section of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, with notable displays such as the original Braunschweig Lion, medieval religious art, knightly objects, and a richly decorated great hall, making it both a central city landmark and a major museum venue in the heart of Braunschweig.