Once the archetype of Herrnhut Baroque and the nucleus of the Evangelical Unity of Brethren, which is still active worldwide today, Zinzendorf Castle Berthelsdorf was on the verge of decay in the mid-1970s. However, a circle of friends was able to revive the complex with public and private support, so that the restoration is progressing and concerts, readings and exhibitions are regularly held in the manor house and the historic granary and stable buildings.
Open Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday from 14:00 to 17:00.
By car: Take the 178 towards Zittau and take the Niedercunnersdorf exit. Follow the S143 to Berthelsdorf.
Public transportation: Take a train to Löbau. From there, take a bus or cab to Herrnhut
It's official since summer 2024. Zinzendorf Castle Berthelsdorf is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the only authentically preserved building from the Zinzendorf era and the archetype of the simple elegance of Herrnhut Baroque in Germany, it set an example for other Herrnhut settlements. Together with the settlements of Christiansfeld in Denmark, Bethlehem in the USA and Gracehill in Northern Ireland, Herrnhut forms the transnational World Heritage Site.
The settlement and castle go back to the pious councillor of justice Nikolaus Ludwig Count von Zinzendorf (1700 - 1760), who acquired the then almost completely dilapidated manor house in 1722, restored it and later allowed Moravian religious refugees to settle on his Berthelsdorf estate. The Moravian Church of Brethren, a small Protestant free church that developed a worldwide missionary activity, was eventually founded from the settlement. However, Zinzendorf Castle Berthelsdorf remained its spiritual center until the beginning of the 20th century.
But then the story of decay took its course. Initially used by the German Reich as a depot for training military horses, a large socialist farm was built on the area around the manor house after the end of the Second World War. Until 1975, when the end of the manor house seemed as good as sealed. The former manor house, whose entire history goes back 500 years, was left to decay and became a ruin.
However, thanks to the civic commitment of the “Freundeskreis Zinzendorf-Schloss Berthelsdorf e.V.”, the listed castle complex is now not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also a lively place for the public. As part of extensive restoration work, the twelve-metre-long groined beam ceiling in the Renaissance hall, which dates back to the time before Zinzendorf, was uncovered. The hall regularly provides a magnificent backdrop for celebrations and events such as concerts and readings. The hall is also adorned with two culturally and historically significant faience stoves made in Upper Lusatia in the mid-18th century. They once stood in the Cistercian monastery of St. Marienthal.
A baroque staircase also leads visitors to the second floor of the manor house, the Beletage. From the rooms where the Brethren regularly met, you have a particularly beautiful view over the entire manor, which has been restored to its former glory.
