Reinhardsbrunn Castle, a unique European architectural and cultural monument, was left to decay for many years. In an expropriation process unprecedented in Germany, the Free State of Thuringia acquired the fairytale-like Reinhardsbrunn Castle and park complex and carried out extensive, use-neutral preservation and restoration work on the castle and park. Last year, under the leadership of the Thuringian State Chancellery, a multi-stage and participatory process was initiated to develop a sustainable, historically appropriate, and cost-neutral use for Reinhardsbrunn Castle and park, and the Thuringian State Development Corporation (LEG) was commissioned to prepare a feasibility study.
Within a year – from the launch of the castle's development strategy and the ideas competition to the jury's decision – LEG Thüringen has developed a master plan focusing on the usage concept for Reinhardsbrunn Castle and Park, which was presented to the public today in Erfurt. The concept, the result of a comprehensive participatory process involving various stakeholders, aims to secure the sustainable and economically viable future of this historically significant property. The usage concept for Reinhardsbrunn Castle and Park is the essential building block for the future development of the site and thus a central component of the master plan.
Thuringia's State Secretary for Culture, Tina Beer, presented the master plan today at the LEG offices and emphasized: "The master plan is a roadmap for the further development of Reinhardsbrunn. Through a broad participatory process, we have succeeded in jointly defining sustainable goals and usage perspectives for the castle with its nine buildings and the 15-hectare inner park. I would like to thank everyone involved for this. I am certain that the proposed usage options will help to breathe new life into this unique ensemble in the coming years."
“Since the Free State of Thuringia assumed responsibility for Reinhardsbrunn Castle, approximately €6.4 million has been invested in its preservation. Comprehensive safety measures across the entire building complex have halted the years of decay and laid a solid foundation for its future development. The restoration of the former castle chapel, in accordance with historic preservation guidelines, will be the first step towards opening the castle to the public next year,” said Thuringia’s State Secretary for Infrastructure, Prof. Dr. Barbara Schönig.
The urgently needed preservation measures under historic preservation law include ensuring the roofs are watertight and properly drained, removing dry rot, structural reinforcements such as the roof truss above the ancestral hall, and tree maintenance in the park, all aimed at ensuring public safety and preserving the garden monument. The other buildings within the historic ensemble, such as the cavalier's house, stables, and royal barn, as well as the park itself, are maintained and preserved as part of routine building maintenance.
The renovation of the former castle chapel is scheduled for completion next year. The chapel is slated to reopen as an event venue in 2025. The renovation of the chapel alone will cost approximately €7.6 million. The restoration of the park surrounding the mill pond and the historically accurate reconstruction of the park wall are expected to be completed in 2026. These two projects are currently estimated to cost €5.4 million. The total cost of the currently commissioned package of construction, restoration, and repair work at the castle is therefore approximately €13 million.
The Free State of Thuringia has commissioned LEG to manage the overall process and develop the master plan. "The revitalization of Reinhardsbrunn Castle and Park is a major undertaking. The master plan could only be developed through the trusting and constructive collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders. We thank everyone involved in the process," said Denis Peisker, Head of Urban and Regional Development at LEG Thüringen, at today's press conference.
Architect and jury chairman Hans-Gerd Schmidt adds: “Within the framework of the master plan, the participating stakeholders succeeded in exploring and defining fundamental positions for the development of the site. In the further course of action, it will be crucial to systematically and step by step substantiate these guidelines in order to be able to present interested users and operators with clear framework conditions and development opportunities from a wide range of professional perspectives.”
The master plan includes the following four sub-concepts for defining the planning objectives for Reinhardsbrunn Castle and Park:
Usage concept
The castle complex comprises a total of nine buildings with a usable area of approximately 4,500 m². For the future use of the listed buildings, a mixed-use concept is proposed in five variants, encompassing the following different types of use:
- Hotel/Accommodation
- Education/conference center with boarding facilities
- gastronomy
- Visitor center with exhibition space
- Event center,
- Additional space for offices or non-disruptive commercial/service businesses.
The 15-hectare inner park will remain largely open to the public.
The reopening of the castle chapel as a multifunctional event space is planned for 2025.
Urban planning concept
The main objective is the sustainable, historically accurate restoration of the entire complex, including the surrounding parkland. This includes the possibility of replacing the stables and gatehouse with new buildings of the same size and supplementing the overall complex with new buildings, in accordance with historic preservation guidelines, insofar as this is necessary for its intended use.
Development concept
The development concept follows the future uses. The necessary development measures will be implemented as part of the revitalization of the castle complex and its individual buildings.
Open space concept
Reinhardsbrunn Castle and its park, divided into an inner and an outer park, are a unique testament to European history. The aim for the inner park is to restore the landscape park to a state corresponding to the Reinhardsbrunn landscape park around 1830.
The next steps are planned as follows:
- Continuation of the use-neutral safety work in the inner park and completion of the renovation measures on the castle chapel in 2025 and opening as an event space,
- Preparation of usage-specific investments for the individual properties of Reinhardsbrunn Castle based on in-depth planning formats and an integrated market approach,
- Continuation and completion of the concepts and plans for the outdoor park and the entire area under consideration, including Reinhardsbrunn train station and the connection to the town of Friedrichroda,
- Continuation of transparent project communication and thus information for all stakeholders involved in the process, including the general public.
All information on the development process of Reinhardsbrunn Castle and Park to date, including the master plan, can be found on the project website at the following link: https://www.leg-thueringen.de/perspektive-schloss-reinhardsbrunn/
