Lütetsburg Castle is a moated castle which was rebuilt in its present form in the 1960s after a devastating fire: With thick walls, a deep moat and two towers. On two pillars next to the access bridge, the heraldic animal - a stone lion - watches over the castle's inhabitants. On the foundation walls of the 15th-century predecessor building, destroyed by a great fire in 1956, the present brick structure was built under the architect Hans Heinrich von Oppeln: a four-winged complex with two towers, simple and monumental at the same time.
The family of the counts of Inn- und Knyphausen has lived here for generations: today, the owner of the castle is Tido Graf zu Inn- & Knyphausen, with his wife Margareta and their four children. Between knight's armour and 60s charm, between ancestral hall and cosy eat-in kitchen, the family has created a modern home with a feel-good atmosphere - and all the stumbling blocks that come with a family-owned home: there's the trampoline in the courtyard, Kettcars and children's bikes... The Count family proves here that it is possible to live uncomplicatedly even on 1,000 square metres.
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A tour of the privately inhabited castle is not possible. However, you may gain some insight through the short film "Wo Grafen schlafen"...
.Treasures at Schloss Lütetsburg
The castle in East Frisia holds countless secrets and stories. Treasures are among them.
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- Former main tower, this used to be much more imposing than the east tower
- East tower
- East wing with guest wing
- Inner courtyard
5. Salon, reception room for guests
6. Hall of ancestors with a gallery of the ancestors of the zu Inn- und Knyphausen family.
7. Dining room, this is where the official dinners and parties eg. hunting parties take place
Those that are interested in the history of Lütetsburg, we invite to our website to delve into the eventful history of Lütetsburg Castle: We have to go far back, to the 14th century - the East Frisian chief Lütet Manninga lost his ancestral home in Westel and had the family-owned Uthoff (outer courtyard) converted into a moated castle, the Lützborch. Destroyed in the Saxon feud, chief Unico Manninga had the castle rebuilt from 1557 to 1576 as a Renaissance castle with the outer bailey still preserved today.
In 1588, the castle passed to Reichsfreiherr Wilhelm von Inn- und Knyphausen through his marriage to the heiress's daughter Hyma Manninga: this is where the connection between Lütetsburg and the count's family zu Inn- und Knyphausen begins, a connection that has been marked by many setbacks, reconstructions and personal tragedies over the centuries: occupation during the Thirty Years' War and later by imperial troops led to the castle's decay, reconstruction took place in the style of the Classicist Baroque...
...and ended in total destruction by a serious fire in 1893, caused by a falling Christmas tree.
Consequently, the castle was rebuilt in the neo-Renaissance style. But during the Second World War, heavy bombs fell on the castle grounds and the castle was badly damaged. In 1956, it fell victim to another major fire for an unexplained reason.
Prince Wilhelm Edzard zu Innhausen und Knyphausen then had the architect Hans Heinrich von Oppeln build the present four-wing complex with two towers in a more modern style on the foundation walls of the previous buildings. Of the previous buildings, only the outer castle and the east tower have survived. This is how you will find the castle on your visit to Lütetsburg today: situated on the outskirts of the village, harmoniously embedded in the surrounding landscape and the imposing Lütetsburg Castle Gardens, Lütetsburg Castle stands as a symbol of East Frisia's tradition and history.
