Neuhaus Castle

The history of Neuhaus Castle goes far back into the Middle Ages. As early as 1036, a main court of the Paderborn bishops is mentioned in "Nyenhus". After disputes with the townspeople, the courtyard was expanded into a "fixed house", the bishop's residence was moved there and a three-storey residential tower was built in 1370, due to repeated destruction. When this tower no longer met the modern requirements of a prestigious court, Prince-Bishop Erich II of Brunswick-Grubenhagen had a new building erected. In 1524, master builder, Jörg Unkair from Lustnau near Tübingen, began the reconstruction. He planned a four-winged complex and built the south-east wing of today's Neuhaus Castle, Haus Braunschweig. Here, for the first time, Renaissance architectural shapes can be observed, the beginning of what is known as the Weser Renaissance. With its five "Welsh" gables and characteristic spherical crowns, Haus Braunschweig today forms the showpiece of the castle. In addition to modern elements, Haus Braunschweig also features ancient designs, such as a late Gothic stave portal on the south-western staircase tower in the inner courtyard.

When Unkair left Neuhaus in 1526, construction continued according to his design. In the period that followed, each new section of the building was named after the builder who constructed it. The four-winged complex was completed under Prince-Bishop Dietrich von Fürstenberg. In 1589-97, the Fürstenberg House on the garden side and the four round towers at the corners were built. In the 18th century, under the regency of Prince-Bishop Clemens-August of Bavaria, the interior was richly decorated with stucco work and ceiling paintings, especially in Haus Braunschweig. The large stables and baroque garden also date from this period.