The Maximilian Castle at Jesberg
One of the most historic buildings in Jesberg is the castle built by Prince Maximilian of Hesse in 1723 in the Treisbachgrund at the foot of the castle hill. Maximilian (1689-1753) was the third son of Landgrave Karl of Hesse-Kassel. He received the Jesberg estates in fief from his father, to whom they had fallen in 1721 after the death of the last member of the Hessian line of the von Linsingen family - Ludwig Eitel von Linsingen.
Maximilian held this inheritance, to which he had added three quarters, until his death in 1753. After marrying Princess Friederike Charlotte, daughter of Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse Darmstadt, who gave him 4 daughters, in 1720, he lived with his family at his summer residence in Jesberg for another 30 years.
The castle is a simple main building with a mansard roof. The central axes are elevated on the courtyard side and crowned by a round gable. On the garden side, the building protrudes on three sides and carries a balcony. It is related to the Kassel palace buildings of the early 18th century.
In addition to the main building, there were two outbuildings flanking the courtyard. To the side of the palace garden there was a pleasure garden in the Dutch style, which ended with a zoo. Today, the Kellerwald Senior Citizens' Center is located on the grounds of the pleasure garden.
The Maximilian Castle looks back on an eventful history. It served as a prisoner of war camp, barracks, cell wing, district court, retirement home, apartment building and asylum seekers' home. One room was used for a time by the Catholic parish as a church service room.
Later, the building, which is listed as a historic monument, stood empty and was in danger of falling into disrepair. In order to prevent this, the Schwalm-Eder district and the municipality of Jesberg searched intensively for a possible use. For the symbolic price of one euro, the building was sold to the German Red Cross, which operates the neighboring senior citizens' center, on condition that it be thoroughly renovated. In 2006, the castle was converted into a meeting place for young and old.
On the first floor there is the community library, a kitchen, a large meeting room, which can also be used for conferences due to its technical equipment, a handicapped accessible toilet facility as well as various work and storage rooms. On the two upper floors, 6 apartments for senior citizens have been set up for assisted living, which are easily accessible by elevator. All apartments have been rented out in the meantime. Due to the central location of the Schlösschen, the residents have all shopping facilities in the immediate vicinity.
www.gemeinde-jesberg.de/freizeit-tourismus/freizeit-kultur/sehenswuerdigkeiten/barockschloesschen/
Burg und Heimatverein Jesberg e.V. | MaximilianschlossMaximilian Castle - Jesberg Castle and Local History Society (buh-jesberg.de)