Ebnet Castle

Schloss Ebnet stands in the quiet district of Ebnet, on the edge of Freiburg im Breisgau. It is a Baroque mansion built in the 18th century by Baron Ferdinand Sebastian von Sickingen-Hohenburg. The architect Johann Jacob Fechter from Basel designed the main building, while Christian Wentzinger created sandstone sculptures for the palace park. The stucco work in fourteen rooms was carried out by Hans Georg Gigl, and the ceiling paintings were done by Benedikt Gambs and Johann Pfunner. The complex includes a gatehouse, farm building, chapel, and main building arranged around a large courtyard. The mansion’s history dates back to 1113 when the Abbey of Saint Peter acquired property in Ebnet. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of knightly families like the Schnewlin von Landeck and the Barons of Sickingen. During the Second World War, the castle housed up to 100 refugees, including the later Bavarian Minister of Culture Hans Maier. The building suffered damage from the war but was restored in the 1980s. Today, it hosts cultural events such as the Ebneter Kultursommer and is home to the Freiburg Bach Choir’s rehearsal room in the Theodor Egel Hall. Visitors find a carefully preserved Baroque residence with a grand garden and outbuildings. The main façade features a coat of arms, balcony, and double staircase leading to the garden. Inside, the garden hall displays richly decorated stucco masks and ceiling paintings by Gambs and Pfunner. The historic riding hall, rebuilt in the park, now houses the Holzingstube and the Storchenschule Ebnet. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, once a kitchen, has been restored as a place of worship open to all faiths. The castle’s setting, with stables and barns, reflects its role as a summer residence for noble families.