Goldbeck Castle
Description
Goldbeck Castle is located on the southern edge of the village of Goldbeck, a district of the town Wittstock/Dosse. It was originally a moated castle, with its now-dry moat once fed by the Dosse River. Over the centuries, the structure was repeatedly rebuilt and updated to match contemporary architectural styles. A unique feature is a narrow one-person side gate next to the main entrance—Brandenburg’s only remaining “one-man sally port.”
History
Goldbeck was first mentioned in a document in 1247, then under the control of the Lords of Werle. In 1276, during a conflict with Margrave Otto V of Brandenburg, the Lords of Werle were defeated. The region, including Goldbeck, became part of the County of Ruppin under the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin, though they had to recognize the Bishop of Havelberg as their feudal overlord.
Around 1300, the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin built the moated castle to secure their territory, with the first written record dating from 1325. In 1424, the castle was used as a hideout by robber knights Hans von Bosel and Klaus von Königsmark.
After the extinction of the Lindow-Ruppin line, the castle became a fief of the Bishopric and was granted to Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg in 1524. Around 1548, Elector Joachim II appointed Johann Gans Edler von Putlitz as castle administrator.
Address
Burgstraße 1A, Goldbeck, Wittstock, Germany
Established
13th century