Gottorf Castle
Originally the Castle of Gottorf had been surrounded by water and its existence was first recorded in 1161.
Under Friedrich III (1597-1659), one of the most important of the dukes of Gottorf, the castle became a cultural center of international standing. He ordered the construction of the famous "Neuwerk", north of the castle's lake. This was a Baroque park with terraces, ponds, fountains and the introduction of rare plants and animals; although most of this was lost until today.
In the 19th Century, the castle served as Danish and later Prussian barracks. The Baroque forts and adjoining buildings became to stables and other trivial buildings.
Since 1947 the castle has been used by the "Schleswig-Holstein- Landesmuseen".
Of great interest is the section of the archaeological Museum concerned with discoveries of the glacial period.
Here you will
find the famous Nydam-ship of the 4th century. It is the oldest known
ocean-going vessel of Northern Europe.
Another attraction is the section with the bodies found in the fen, men who were buried before 2000 years ago in the fenlands. The fen has preserved their bodies so perfectly, that they kept a living appearance.
The second museum in the Castle of Gottorf is the
cultural-historical Landesmuseum with one of the most comprehensive collections
of arts, history of civilization and folklore between the North and Baltic Sea,
Hamburg and Denmark, from the Middle Ages till to the present day.
In the former stables there are today exhibitions of paintings. Along with this, there are regular short-term exhibitions of quality.
My love belongs to the collection Hermann Gerlinger "The painter of the Brücke".
Heckel Kirchner
Schmidt-Rottluff Pechstein