Schloss Rochlitz
Darkness and light
In the 10th century, this fortress was part of the defense of the hard-won victory over the West Slavs. Today, more than a millennium later, the Rochlitz towers ”Light Jupe“ and ”Dark Jupe“ still rise over the Zwickauer Mulde and have the castle appear like a fortified cathedral. Whoever comes to visit this area can still feel the historic turbulence which was part of the German settlement drive to the east during the High Middle Ages.
Later emperors, kings and electors held court here. Wars and sieges were also part of the history of the outpost above the Zwickauer Mulde – even today it still bears the scars of shots from the Thirty Years‘ War. However, there is also a brighter side to the history of Rochlitz Castle.
Dedo von Groitzsch had the impenetrable forests cleared and encouraged the settlement of the lands around Rochlitz, while Margrave Wilhelm the One-eyed and later the Electors Ernst and Albrecht had the defense castle rebuilt as a residential palace. Duchess Elisabeth of Saxony dedicated herself to the Reformation and attempted to be a negotiator between the two sides in the Schmalkaldic War (1546-1547).
Each generation of occupiers of the palace left their stamp on it, and inside there are numerous architectural gems waiting to be discovered. Anybody who likes to be transported back to long past times will enjoy the Gothic windows, ornamented cruciform vaults, defensive passages, dungeons, the large court kitchen and the torture chamber. A special attraction of Rochlitz Castle is the exhibition ”Living Procession of Princes“, which with its magnificent costumes brings back to life those immortalised in the famous wall picture in Dresden.
Address
Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und
Gärten Sachsen
Schloss Rochlitz
Sörnziger Weg 1 | D-09306 Rochlitz
Phone +49 (0) 37 37 49 23-10
Fax +49 (0) 37 37 49 23-12
rochlitz@schloesserland-sachsen.de
www.schloss-rochlitz.de
www.fuerstenzugdresden.de
Disabled access
Limited accessibility
