History
An eventful history
In 1569, Peter Rantzau inherited Ahrensfelde Castle – which had previously stood 3 km south of the palace – and the surrounding land from his brother Daniel Rantzau. In an idyllic spot in the Hunna Valley, Peter Rantzau had a noble estate built, including Ahrensburg Castle, which was completed in 1585. A little later, the estate church and the so-called ‘Gottesbuden’ (God’s huts) were built opposite the castle; these still serve today as accommodation for people in need.
In 1759, Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann acquired the estate, including the manor house. Schimmelmann made his fortune, among other things, through the so-called ‘triangular trade’ in slaves; however, as lord of the manor at Ahrensburg, he was very concerned with the long-term improvement of his subjects’ living conditions. Ahrensburg remained in the possession of the Schimmelmann family for six generations, until the counts were forced to sell the castle in 1938.
Thanks to the initiative of the Ahrensburg hotelier Hans Schadendorff (1898–1967), the castle was preserved as a cultural monument. The state of Schleswig-Holstein, the district of Stormarn, the Kreissparkasse (now Sparkasse Holstein) and the town of Ahrensburg then took over the sponsorship of the “Verein Schloss Ahrenburg e.V.”, which opened the castle museum in 1938. Following its closure due to the war and subsequent renovation, the castle has served as a museum without interruption since 1955.
Several extensive renovation and restoration projects (1983–1985 and 2009–2015) ensured that the castle now shines in new splendour.
At the end of 2002, the castle was converted into a foundation under civil law.
The castle complex
In December 2012, eight partners signed the “Ahrensburg Castle Complex” agreement. These include the District of Stormarn, the Town of Ahrensburg, the Ahrensburg Castle Foundation and its Friends’ Association, the Marstall am Schloss Cultural Centre, and the three Sparkasse foundations: Stormarn, Ahrensburg Castle and the Stormarn Cultural Foundation. In 2013, the Evangelical Lutheran Parish of Ahrensburg (Schlosskirche) also joined the partnership.
Through this collaboration, the participants aim to strengthen cultural and youth work and raise awareness among the people of the town and district of the historical, economic, social and cultural significance of the Ahrensburg Castle Ensemble. Since the 17th century, the castle, the Castle Church and the Gottesbuden, the Marstall and the riding hall, the watermill, the manor house, the barns and the Bagatelle have been functionally interlinked, and the farmers of the village of Woldenhorn were closely connected to them. These historic buildings, which have been preserved to this day, constitute the unique cultural heritage in the district of Stormarn of the town of Ahrensburg, which grew out of the village.
Under their shared logo, the partners of the Palace Ensemble organised a walking concert in the Palace, the Palace Church and the Stables for the first time in 2014. The concerts are now always sold out (book tickets in good time!) and have become a firm fixture in the town.
