Wilhelmsburg Castle

The Wilhelmsburg Castle in the metropolis of Schmalkalden turned into a secondary residence of the Landgraves of Hesse. It is one of the most vital Renaissance buildings in valuable Germany, which has experienced no structural modifications to these days and is preserved in almost its unique circumstance. In 1583, the Landgrave of Hesse Kassel became the only owner of the Lordship of Schmalkalden, which was shared with the Counts of Henneberg till then. Landgrave William IV at once determined to make the metropolis one in all his secondary residences.

He had the 12th Century Waltaff Castle demolished and commenced the construction of the castle named after him on the same place. The castle become inaugurated on 23 May 1590, even though it had no longer but been completed. The interior turned into procured from Kassel. William's son Maurice regularly stayed at Wilhelmsburg castle. During his reign, the fort changed into sooner or later completed in 1618. His successors used the fortress much less and much less and in the early 19th Century the citadel turned into deserted altogether. In 1873, the Association for Henneberg History and Geography purchased the castle and started the use of it as a museum.