Kriebstein Castle

Kriebstein Castle rises on a steep rock high above the Zschopau River in Saxony. In 1384 it was extensively extended and mentioned for the first time in a document. In the 15th century, the castle owner consigned the master builder of Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen with extensive construction works that are still preserved to the present day. The castle is a combination of a tower and a ring castle, it has an oval ground plan and was built in the Gothic style. The eye-catching keep (residential tower) is slightly elevated, is 45 metres high and has charming bay turrets from the late Middle Ages. In the centre of the castle, a kitchen building is connected to the keep. Next to the chapel there are a cross-ribbed vaulted Gothic hall and other buildings. The castle complex is surrounded by the utility wing, curtain wall and gatehouse. In the 17th century some buildings were extended by another storey. In the 19th century, part of the wall and the utility wing were demolished and the kitchen building was replaced by a new building. The Neo-Gothic style was chosen for the conversion. Due to the numerous building alterations, an interesting mixture of different architectural styles was created.

The first lord of the castle was the knight Dietrich von Beerwalde, who also owned the nearby towns of Waldheim and Hartha. In 1465 Hugold III von Schleinitz acquired Castle Kriebstein. After his death, the ownership of the castle changed frequently. From 1825 the castle belonged to the von Arnim family, who were expropriated in 1945. After that the castle became the public property of the GDR. At that time, a museum and the forestry administration were housed in the castle. Since 1993 Kriebstein Castle has been owned by the Free State of Saxony.

The castle name probably comes from the German hunting expression for guts (Kriebe), describing the place where after the hunt the guts of the game were removed.

According to a legend, in 1415 the women in the castle were responsible for ending a siege of Kriebstein Castle. After a long siege they pleaded to the Margrave to be allowed to leave the castle with the most precious belongings they could carry. The Margrave agreed, because he thought they would carry their jewellery to safety. But when the women left the castle, they carried their husbands on their backs.

Burg Kriebstein was printed on the twenty Pfennig stamp of the GDR. Kriebstein has also been the venue for shooting several films, for example for fairy tale movies such as “Snow White” or for the movie “Grand Budapest Hotel”.