Renaissance castle from the 17th century, headquarters of the Wermsdorf tourist information office, guided tours on request, registry office.
The extensive forests of Wermsdorf, rich in game, inspired Elector Christian II to have the first hunting lodge built on the site of the old manor between 1607 and 1610. This was kept very simple and was therefore soon rebuilt and extended in the German Renaissance style on the orders of Elector Johann Georg I from 1617 to 1626. Master builder Simon Hoffmann gave the palace its present form.
Three irregular wings form the courtyard, numerous gables effectively enliven the façades and a bay window with ornate sandstone work is a particular ornament. An octagonal stair tower with lantern and curved dome separates the two main wings.
From 1626 to 1628, the building served as an electoral hunting lodge. However, the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War interrupted its actual purpose until 1685. From then on, Elector Johann Georg III used it as a hunting lodge again. In 1696, Elector Augustus the Strong handed the castle over to his governor, Egon Prince von Fürstenberg, with the order to set up the local forests for par force hunting.
After Fürstenberg's death in 1716, Augustus the Strong took over the castle with all its hunting equipment in order to have it further extended for the Elector Prince. With the construction of Hubertusburg Castle, the "Old Hunting Lodge" lost its importance. It served as a guest house and accommodation for servants. In 1873, the then King of Saxony had the castle refurbished for his court hunts. It was the royal hunting seat until 1918. After the expropriation by the princes, the entire furnishings were moved to Moritzburg or auctioned off. The rooms were converted into apartments and offices.
Today, the old hunting lodge is home to the municipal administration as well as the tourist information office, a cultural meeting center, the Wermsdorf registry office and the local police station.
Three irregular wings form the courtyard, numerous gables effectively enliven the façades and a bay window with ornate sandstone work is a particular ornament. An octagonal stair tower with lantern and curved dome separates the two main wings.
From 1626 to 1628, the building served as an electoral hunting lodge. However, the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War interrupted its actual purpose until 1685. From then on, Elector Johann Georg III used it as a hunting lodge again. In 1696, Elector Augustus the Strong handed the castle over to his governor, Egon Prince von Fürstenberg, with the order to set up the local forests for par force hunting.
After Fürstenberg's death in 1716, Augustus the Strong took over the castle with all its hunting equipment in order to have it further extended for the Elector Prince. With the construction of Hubertusburg Castle, the "Old Hunting Lodge" lost its importance. It served as a guest house and accommodation for servants. In 1873, the then King of Saxony had the castle refurbished for his court hunts. It was the royal hunting seat until 1918. After the expropriation by the princes, the entire furnishings were moved to Moritzburg or auctioned off. The rooms were converted into apartments and offices.
Today, the old hunting lodge is home to the municipal administration as well as the tourist information office, a cultural meeting center, the Wermsdorf registry office and the local police station.