Grotenburgschlösschen

The Grotenburgschlösschen is a small castle-like building in the middle of Krefeld Zoo. It stands on land once owned by the Grotenburg farming family. Built in the mid-19th century as a summer house, it later became part of a larger estate. The building is protected as a historic monument. The surrounding Grotenburg Park was once much larger than today. The estate passed from the Grotenburgs to silk manufacturer Moritz de Greiff in 1840. He commissioned the summer house in 1846 and turned the farm into a service courtyard. The park was redesigned by landscape architect Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe. After several owners, the city of Krefeld took over in 1914 and opened the zoo in 1938. The building was remodelled in the 1950s and has housed the zoo café since 1955. The classical building has a white façade and a distinctive octagonal tower rising three storeys high. Two short wings flank the tower on either side, giving the structure a length of about 22 metres. Inside, visitors find a café with views over the zoo grounds. The park’s original design still shapes the landscape around the café.