The authorities of the German town of Bad Düben in Saxony have put the historic Schnaditz Castle up for sale. The starting price of the property is just €1, but the future owner will have to invest considerable sums in its restoration, Bild reports, citing the local administration.
The castle is around 800 years old. According to the head of the local district, Matthias Mith, the building is of great importance to the region but is currently in an unsatisfactory condition. The roof, however, remains watertight.
The castle is a moated fortress covering an area of around 1,012 sq m. The complex includes a knights' hall and two towers. It once belonged to the noble von Zaschnitz family, which became known thanks to Heinrich von Kleist's novella “Michael Kohlhaas”.
After 1945, the castle was nationalised. During the GDR era, it housed flats, the municipal administration, a post office, a kindergarten and consumer service facilities. After German reunification, the building stood unused for a long time.
In 2014, the castle was bought by private investors from the USA who planned to open a hotel and restaurant complex there. However, in 2018 the project was halted owing to a lack of funding. Around €400,000 was invested in the reconstruction instead of the planned millions, after which the sale and purchase agreement was annulled through the courts.
The municipality is now looking for an investor once again. According to local authority estimates, the major repair and refurbishment of the castle will require around €20 million. In addition, the restoration work will be carried out under the strict supervision of the agency for the protection of architectural monuments, which may extend the project's timeline.
