Schloss Neuhaus, Paderborn

Schloss Neuhaus stands on an island where the Lippe, Alme and Pader rivers meet in the south-east corner of the Westphalian Bight. Built in Weser Renaissance style, its four wings enclose a rectangular courtyard. The oldest surviving part, the Haus Spiegel, dates from the 14th century when bishops made Neuhaus their main residence after moving from Paderborn. The palace’s long history is marked by successive rulers and their building campaigns. Jörg Unkair added the Haus Braunschweig façade in the 1520s, Hermann von Wied linked the buildings in 1534, and Dietrich von Fürstenberg completed the four-wing plan with round towers in 1590. A Baroque garden was laid out under Clemens August in 1736, and the complex later served as a military base for Prussian cavalry and British forces. Today the former residence houses two schools inside its wings, while the surrounding park hosts summer concerts. The former riding hall now contains science classrooms, and the former dining room is used for city weddings. A stone figure on the west gable recalls a 17th-century hunting accident, and a plaque in the courtyard honours two local officers involved in the 1944 plot against Hitler.