Castle Lichtenwalde
The castle of “Lichtenwalde” was built in the
period 1722 to 1726 on the foundations of an older castle; it comprises three
wings, each of three stories. The owner was Count von Watzdorf,
who had been a minister at the court of Augustus the Strong, the Elector
of Saxony and King of Poland. Later it passed into the possession of the
family of the Counts Vitzthum von Eckstädt. The
architect is unknown, but was probably a master builder at the court of
Dresden. The front of the castle did not have much sculptural
ornamentation, but was decorated with illusionistic paintings.
In the night of 30 April 1905 a fire
caused by a faulty chimney ravaged the castle. The entrance front and the
southern wing were both almost completely destroyed while part of the
northern wing, the link building to the chapel and the chapel itself
survived.
The chapel is much older than the rest of
the castle having been built as part of a 13th century castle.
In summer and autumn 2000 the remains of this earlier castle were
investigated by means of archaeological excavations undertaken in the
inner courtyard.
The castle was rebuilt in 1905 to 1908 by the
court architect Gustav Frölich who followed
closely the forms of the building destroyed by the fire. The outline of
the new structure is generally very similar to that of the old, although
the tower was heightened and the entrance façade was decorated in
neo-baroque forms. A new entrance hall was created in a simple but
monumental style. The total cost of the rebuilding came to one million “Reichsmark”.
In July 1945 immediately following the
Second World War, the Red Army arrived at the castle and gave the family
an hour to vacate it. Most of the inventory, the objects of art and the
archives were then removed.
In 1948 the castle became a convalescent
home for people suffering from diseases of the lungs and later it was
used as a centre for public health services. In the seventies the
historical rooms were restored and after 1991 the building was used as an
educational institute by the Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs.
In 1998 the castle passed to the Castle
Administration of the State of Saxony. Further renovation work should be
completed by 2010.
Baroque Garden
The creation of the park was started in
1730. The baroque garden already became famous in the 18th
century because of its water features said to total more than 400
fountains. The owner was Carl Friedrich Count von Watzdorf,
the son of the builder of the castle. In the planning and design of the
garden, the integration of the slopping terrain
on the side of the Zschopau valley played an
important role. A surviving plan from 1767 tells us how the garden looked
originally and confirms that its baroque composition has largely survived
unchanged. The garden covers an area of 10 hectares.
In 1954 a programme of renovation of the
most important parts of the park commenced. In recent years the local
community was sustained in its efforts by financial help from the EU, the
German government and the Free State of Saxony. All in all some 12.8
million DM were made available. Since 1998 the baroque garden shines in
renewed splendour.
In the second half of the 19th
century the park was regularly opened to the public by the family of the
counts. As has always been the case the water for the fountains is pumped
up from the river into a reservoir. From this point one can see the
greenhouses and the gardener’s cottage. It is also interesting to view
the cemetery of the family of the counts with its six metre high carved
crucifixes, which can be found beneath the walls of the park.
The middle garden is located directly at
the castle. It was modified in about the year 1800 and has been restored
to this shape. Two stairs with fountain lead from the middle garden to
the next terrace. From the “Bosket” stairs go down to an arcade where a
watery surprise awaits the unsuspecting visitor, this is today equipped
with a modern photoelectric barrier. The fountain called the “Dolphin
Fountain”. From the main avenue all parts of the garden can be reached.
The 94 lime trees have all been newly replanted and they are cut back
regularly.
The first concert in the garden, one for
brass instruments took place in 1843, a tradition that is still
continued. The coffee shop, the fountain and the music pavilion were
built in 1906. The “Water Axis” is parallel to the “Main Avenue” and
leads through separate parts of the garden. From time to time you have
beautiful views into the Zschopau valley. The
hedges, three metres in height, produce spaces of different size and
shape, while the various water features are most attractive.
The “Crown Basin” got its name from two golden crowns,
which danced on the top of jets of water – water lilies constitute the
decorations of the basin now days. The so-called “Place of the Vase” was
given its form during the period of the German Democratic Republic. At
first it comprised a bowling green and then a vase
three metres high decorated this space.
The “New Part” of the garden was created
around 1800. There remain two wall fountains incorporating the heads of
tritons. You can see many jets of water emerging from the grass. In the
pool below the fountains rotate. Drainage is provided by a romantic
stream crossed by a bridge. This part of the garden is arranged in the
style of a landscape park.
The most important part of the whole
garden is known as “Seven Arts”. It comprises a pool in the shape of a
shell with seven fountains and bodies of water. The principal jet can
reach a height of 6.5 metres. The two pavilions are crowned with handmade
copper vases. From the terrace you have a beautiful view into the Zschopau valley.
This is the end of our tour – other places in
the park can be discovered by everyone for themselves.
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