Köthen Castle

Schloss Köthen stands in the town centre of Köthen, Anhalt. It began as a castle with a moat in the 12th century and became the residence of the Princes and Dukes of Anhalt from 1244 to 1847. The palace was rebuilt in Baroque style after a fire in the 16th century and remodelled again in the 19th century. The composer Johann Sebastian Bach worked here from 1717 to 1723 as court musician for Prince Leopold. The palace is important for its musical history and its bird collection. Bach composed the Brandenburg Concertos and the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier while in Köthen. His secular cantatas were written for the prince’s birthday and New Year. The ornithologist Johann Friedrich Naumann sold his bird collection to the duke in the 19th century, which now forms the Naumann-Museum. Visitors find three main areas: the inner court on the original castle site, the outer buildings including stables and riding hall, and the Schlosspark. The Johann-Georg-Bau and Ludwigsbau show Renaissance and Italianate styles. The Reithalle hosts the Bach museum and concerts, while the Naumann-Museum displays taxidermied birds and Naumann’s personal effects. The palace gardens are part of the Saxony-Anhalt Garden Dreams project.