Castle Schwarzburg

Thuringia is rich in castles and palaces, boasting more than 500 in the Free State. Schwarzburg Castle, ancestral seat of the Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, has a particularly eventful history. It witnessed feudalism, absolutism, democracy, and Nazism. In 1919, Friedrich Ebert signed the Weimar Constitution in Schwarzburg. Approximately 20 years later, during the Nazi dictatorship, the main building of the baroque complex was devastated beyond recognition as it was intended to be converted into a guesthouse for the Reich. After gutting and partial demolition, the reconstruction was halted, leaving the site in ruins. Following 1945, much of the castle complex fell into disrepair, with only the Emperor's Hall building restored by 1970.

In 1994, the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation assumed responsibility for the ensemble. Since its establishment in 1996, the Association of Friends of Schloss Schwarzburg - Denkort der Demokratie e.V. has been dedicated to preserving the castle. In 2010, the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation initiated the renovation of the arsenal and initially secured the main building without a specific purpose, which had been gutted and significantly structurally compromised during the reconstruction. The drastic alterations to this building remain a unique and telling testament to Germany's history.

 

Schwarzburg Castle is a baroque ensemble consisting of several buildings, including the gatehouse, arsenal, Emperor's Hall, and the castle church. The IBA project 'Schwarzburg Castle' focuses exclusively on the main building of the castle. 

 

The architectural firm TeCTUM from Weimar emerged as the first-place winner of an idea competition for the usage concept and spatial disposition of the castle ensemble in 2012. In 2016, within the framework of the IBA project qualification, TeCTUM developed the feasibility study 'Schwarzburg Castle - Partial conversion and expansion of a unit within the castle as a site of democracy.' © TeCTUM Hille — Kobelt Architekten PartGmbB. 

 

The renovation by the architectural firm TeCTUM is based on minimal structural interventions, preserving the historical substance and usage traces.

Through the partial conversion of the main building until 2021 under the IBA, the structure is now available for use. This involved investment from the Thuringian Foundation of Castles and Gardens and the IBA's own funds, supported by state and National Urban Development Projects funding. Under the stewardship of the Thuringian Foundation of Castles and Gardens, a unique site of democracy has emerged, preserving historical traces through sensitive restoration without erasing them. The foundation plans to establish Schwarzburg Castle as a long-term educational site in collaboration with the Buchenwald and Mittelbau Dora Memorial Foundation, as this place is one of the witnesses to the Nazi era.

In 2012, the foundation announced an ideas competition for the treatment of the main building and its future monument-appropriate use. The Weimar-based firm TeCTUM Hille-Kobelt Architects won the competition with its concept of 'reading traces and times,' continuing construction within the existing structure while preserving historical traces and their destruction. Their design aimed to make the Gallery Hall and Ancestor´s Hall in the main building accessible. 

When Zukunftswerkstatt Schwarzatal initiated the project family 'Resilient Schwarzatal' with IBA Thuringia in 2014, the castle was included as one component. Schwarzburg Castle is a baroque ensemble consisting of several buildings, including the gatehouse, arsenal, Emperor´s Hall, and the main castle building. The IBA project includes the development of the Ancestor´s Hall and Gallery Hall as project and event spaces, as well as the presentation of democratic history. From then on, the foundation, the support association, and IBA worked together to create a place of democracy.

In 2016, as part of the project qualification, TeCTUM developed the feasibility study for the partial expansion of the castle. After the construction of a new northern building completion with a staircase by the Foundation, in 2019, within the scope of the IBA project, the securing, expansion, and subsequent opening of the main castle building began. The partial expansion was based on an extremely sensitive approach to the historical building structure, with a few additions using modern materials to complement the overall appearance. During the restoration, various craft-related questions arose, preserving historical traces inch by inch. After over 80 years, the main building was accessible as an exhibition site from 2019 onwards. 

The castle's history and significance were meant to be conveyed to visitors both spatially and narratively. At the initiative of the IBA, the Weimar-based agency, musealis, developed a script in 2017, envisioning an audio walk among other things. The audio walk takes visitors through the 900-year history of the site, focusing on not only the history and the construction project but also on the people who lived and ruled there, were forced into brutal work, held personal memories associated with the castle, or left their marks on its walls. The organization of the audio walk tours is managed by the Association of Friends of Schloss Schwarzburg - Denkort der Demokratie e.V.. Since 2019, more than 2,500 curious individuals have engaged in the audio walk experience. 

In the summer of 2021, the Gallery Hall and Ancestor's Hall of Schloss Schwarzburg were ceremoniously inaugurated. This marked the reopening of the historical richness of this landmark in Schwarzatal, making it once again accessible to the public. As the final touch, the Site of Democracy received an interactive educational offering in 2022, designed by the agency C4 Berlin: the digital guestbook. Visitors in the Gallery Hall can now share their thoughts on democracy through a Social Media Wall, learn more about democracy projects, and explore the history of the castle, thus digitally continuing the preserved traces on its walls.