Nossen Castle is located in the town of the same name in the district of Meißen in the German state of Saxony. This impressive castle complex dominates from a rocky outcrop the entire Freiberger Mulde valley.
The Renaissance building was built on the site of an older medieval castle on behalf of the Saxon electors as a hunting lodge and residence for travelers to and from Dresden, as well as the administrative center of the Nossen office. Today it is possible to visit parts of the castle with exhibitions on the Saxon noble families of the Schoenbergs and Friesens.
Schloss Nossen History
In 1185, the Knights of Nuzzin were first named as the owners of a castle on the rocky outcrop. However, it is not known what the castle looked like. In 1315, the bishops of Meissen took possession of the castle until they sold it to Altzella Abbey in 1436. The castle remained the abbot's refuge until the dissolution of the monastery in 1540.
After the Reformation, the former property of the Altzella monastery became the Amt Nossen. Its home was Nossen Castle, which Elector Augustus had rebuilt into a representative Renaissance castle starting in 1554, using demolition material from the monastery. The west section, where the three round towers reminiscent of Moritzburg Castle and the Hall of Giants, parts of which are still used as event halls, date from this period. The castle has taken its present form since the late 17th century.
In 1630, Nossen Castle also became the seat of the district governor and was used mainly for administrative purposes until the 19th century. It housed the rent office and the judicial office with a court and prisons. From the 19th century onward it became increasingly "orphaned" and was used, among other things, as a branch of Waldheim Prison, as a municipal museum of local history and as living space.
Nossen's office was disbanded in 1945. Nossen's local history museum moved to other rooms in the west wing. In 1993, the Free State of Saxony took over the castle and merged it with Altzella Monastery to form an administrative unit. Since 1996, permanent and special exhibitions have presented the city's eventful history and reminded visitors of Saxony's nearly forgotten nobility.
Annual special exhibitions enliven the Renaissance palace, quietly situated in the Freiberger Mulde river valley.
In addition, in the convent café you can choose from refreshing snacks, sweets, and hot and cold drinks. Outside you will find up to 40 seats with a view of the Convent House. Finally, the meeting rooms in the Tenant House are also available for groups by reservation