Schloss Sonnewalde

Schloss Sonnewalde stands in the small town of Sonnewalde in Brandenburg’s Elbe-Elster district. It began as a late-medieval castle rebuilt after a fire around 1470–77 by Botho von Ileburg. Between 1577 and 1592 the Solms counts enlarged it into a Renaissance palace, probably following designs by Christof Tendler. The complex once had four wings surrounded by a moat and eight towers, but most of it burned in 1949. Today only the two-storey gatehouse with its curved gable and a western wing with volute gables remain.

The Solms family made Sonnewalde the centre of their estate, which at about 5 054 hectares around 1929 ranked among the twenty largest private holdings in Brandenburg. Notable owners included Graf Otto zu Solms-Laubach and his descendant Georg Friedrich, who restored the palace in the 17th century. The line also held nearby estates such as Pouch and Wurschen. The family’s archives record disputes over inheritance and debts that shaped the estate’s history.

Visitors find the surviving gatehouse marked by a pelican crest above an aedicular doorway. Inside the western wing the Solms-Nassau alliance coat of arms is still visible. Beyond the buildings stretches the palace park, which can be explored with a printed guide. The remaining structures and the park together recall the Solms dynasty’s long residence and the Renaissance expansion of Sonnewalde.