Usinger Schloss

The Usinger Schloss stands in the heart of Usingen, a town in the Hochtaunuskreis of Hesse. It began as a 14th-century burghouse built by Johann I of Nassau-Weilburg, later replaced by a baroque palace under Fürst Walrad between 1660 and 1663. After a fire in 1873 destroyed most of the palace, only the ‘Krumme Bau’ survived and became part of a new Prussian brick building designed by Gustav Knoblauch. Today the Christian-Wirth-Schule occupies the site, with the old palace forming the central wing of the gymnasium. The school’s history reflects wider changes in German education. It opened as a teachers’ seminary in 1851, served as a military hospital during the First World War, and expanded through decades of debate over school structure. In 1976 it became an additive comprehensive school, later reverting to a grammar school with a musical focus. Around 1,400 pupils now attend, benefiting from modern extensions built in stages since the 1980s. Visitors see a blend of old and new. The baroque façade of the former palace faces the Schlossplatz, a wide square that separates the lower and upper parts of the town. Behind it lie the school’s classrooms, science blocks and two sports halls, while the former castle garden holds additional pavilions and a small dining hall. The site also preserves the historic ‘Krumme Bau’ cellar and the remains of the 18th-century stables known locally as the ‘Bruchbude’.