Schloss Ratibor

Schloss Ratibor stands at the southern end of Roth’s main street in Mittelfranken. Built between 1535 and 1537 by Georg the Pious, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, it served as a hunting lodge. The building combines early Renaissance style with late Gothic elements. Its construction was financed by revenues from the pawned Duchy of Oppeln-Ratibor in Upper Silesia. The name Ratibor refers to the Silesian town where the margraves once held court. The castle passed to Johann Philipp Stieber in 1791, who installed a factory for leonine wares. From 1858 a district court occupied one wing. Between 1892 and 1916 Wilhelm von Stieber commissioned artists such as Ferdinand Wagner and Conradin Walther to redecorate parts in late Renaissance fashion. They created a grand hall with mythological ceiling paintings and Odyssean tapestries. In 1942 the city of Roth received the building as a gift and has since adapted it for public uses. Visitors now find the city library and council chamber in the former stables. The second floor of the courtyard wing houses the town museum, while the ground floor contains the tourist office. The main building holds the city archive. In summer the courtyard hosts open-air theatre performances. The restored council chambers serve as venues for weddings and official events. The recently renovated façades and interiors reveal the castle’s layered history at every turn.