Rimburg Castle dated from 1276 and is located in Wurmtal on the German-Dutch border. Several fierce battles took place here in 1944, gravely damaging the structure.
Augustusburg Schloss at Bruhl near Cologne was completed in 1298. Towards the end of the Second World War, the castle was badly damaged by shelling and looting as was the old Kadolzburg Castle in Cadolzburg in Franconia.
Schloss Putbus was built in the 12th century and was owned by the family of Putbus until 1945. After World War Two and until the 1950s some renovation work took place at the castle, but then in 1959, the communist government made the decision to demolish the castle on ideological grounds. Only parts of it remain today.
Black Castle, or Braunschweiger Schloss in the city center of Braunschweig was begun around 1753. The 1944 bomb attacks badly damaged it and its remains were removed in 1960.
Schloss Brünninghausen in Dortmund dated from 1483 and lasted until bombing destroyed it in the Second World War. It was not rebuilt.
Schloss Calbe was begun in 965. In the final days of World War II, the castle was damaged by fire and in 1951, despite the protests of the population, its remains were removed completely.
Schloss Herrenhausen, Hannover, started life in 1638. It lasted 300 years until 1943, when British bombing completely destroyed it.
Herzog-Max-Burg, München, was ancient, then rebuilt between 1593 to 1596. After severe war damage it was largely removed and a new building from 1954 stands in its place.
Kieler Schloss, circa 1558 to 1568, was burned out by bombing in 1944 and its remains were removed after the war.
Stammheimer Schloss, near Cologne was ruined by bombing in 1944 and it was not rebuilt.
Palais Thurn and Taxis in Frankfurt was erected from 1729 to 1739 and fell victim to an air assault in 1944 and largely destroyed; its remains were dismantled in 1951.
Schloss Hartenstein was built in the 12th century. The remains of the Saxon castle were destroyed by American bombs on April 20, 1945.
Castle Culmitzsch in Thuringia was partly demolished and blown up in 1969-1970.
Residenzschloss Osterstein in Gera dating from the 12th century was burnt out in 1945 and its remnants demolished 1962. Today, only the former dungeon and a farm building and Courtyard remain.
Schloss Köstritz, Bad Köstritz, Thuringia was demolished in 1972.
Schloss Dwasieden was at Sassnitz on the island of Rügen, and was built from 1873 to 1877. In 1948, the castle was blown up for ideological reasons.
Schloss Schleiz in Thuringia was owned by the Count Heinrich von Reuss in 1689 and dated from the14th century. An American bomb attack destroyed it in 1945.
Schloss Monbijou, another royal palace in Berlin dating from 1649, was bombed in November 1943 and its ruins demolished in 1959.
Prinz-Albrecht-Palais in Berlin was constructed from 1737 to 1739 After heavy war damage in 1944, the remains were removed in 1955.
Berliner Schloss (see below)
Potsdamer Stadtschloss, circa 1598, was burned out by bombing in 1945 and its remnants were blown up in 1959-1960.
Schloss Neustrelitz from the early 18th century was burned out in 1945 and its ruins blown up in 1949. (see elsewhere)
Schloss Dargun in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, circa 1172, was destroyed by arson in 1945.
Schloss Putzar is the name of the ruins of two mansions in Putzar in Pomerania dating from 1306 and 1545. In the Second World War, it sheltered refugees and “resettlers” in its buildings, and was then allowed to go to ruin.
Schloss Wolfshagen on Haussee between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was built from 1776 to 1838. World War II bombing destroyed the palace and the Orangerie. The castle was completely demolished later.
Schloss Zerbst castle in Saxony-Anhalt was the Royal Palace of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst. It was time mentioned for the first time in 1196. In the Second World War it was severely damaged by bombs in April of 1945 and it burned completely; Reconstruction of its foundation walls of the still standing castle would have been possible, but were rejected due to ideological decisions, and the west wing was blown up. Only the ruin of the east wing was preserved.
The old castle in Nürnberg was among others completely devastated by bombs. Johannisburg Palace and Mannheim Palace were among the many, many others that were severely damaged, and the German castles in lands given to the communist governments were either destroyed or taken away from their rightful owners.
Karlsruher Schloss was first constructed by Jakob Friedrich von Batzendorf. The city was planned with the tower of the palace at the centre and 32 streets radiating out from it like spokes on a wheel, giving Karlsruhe the name “fan city” (Fächerstadt). The palace was rebuilt in 1746 and it was later altered by Balthasar Neumann and Friedrich von Kesslau and again in 1785 by Wilhelm Jeremias Müller. The palace, along with most of the city, was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing.
Schloß Rurich near Hückelhoven, dating in part from the 13th century, survived the immense destruction caused by “Operation Queen” on November 16, 1944 which laid waste several nearby towns and cities, only to be hit by a grenade attack during Christmas 1944 which caused immense and irreparable damage. The valuable castle library of over 18,000 volumes was thoroughly looted by American GIs.
