Thuringia
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

Known locally as ‘Burgruine Brandenburg’ are the remains of two castles, albeit built at different times in the mid 12th century. They each had their own towers, curtain walls with gates, and are located on a spur either side of a natural saddle. They do not feature in the history of the area, or Germany. Their greatest claim to fame is being called “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle” during the division of Germany as they lay in the restricted zone. Since Reunification they have been restored, and the residential tower of the Ostburg now houses a museum. The castle can be visited at anytime and makes for a great hike in the area, but the museum has set opening times.

The concentration camp was built by the SS in 1937 essentially for political crimes, by 1940 Roma, Jews and Poles were sent to Buchenwald. From 1945 the Soviets used the facility to house Nazi criminals. Historical features of the camp include the former inmates’ camp, the SS casern, the memorial complex, and the cemeteries of the Soviet Special Camp No. 2. In the facilities of the memorial are four exhibitions a historical and art exhibition about the concentration camp, the history of Soviet Special Camp No. 2, and the history of the memorial itself.

Considered one of the most beautiful ruined castles in central Germany, Hanstein Castle certainly makes for a picturesque silhouette among timber-framed buildings. First mention of the castle dates to 1070, noting its destruction. Given its strategic value, the castle was rebuilt and damaged several times in its history. As it was close to the border between East and West Germany, the CDR took control of the ruins and the towers used as a border watch tower. No visitors were allowed until after Reunification. A popular  medieval festival takes place at the castle every year on the first weekend of August.

In the early 1950s the rural medieval village of Mödlareuth became known as ‘Little Berlin’.  Like the city, the village was physically divided in 1952, at first by a wooden fence, then later by the  same concrete barrier system that divided the two German states. Mödlareuth lies on the border between Thuringia (then in the Soviet Occupation Zone) and Bavaria (American Occupation Zone), hence the partition of the village into East and West Germany, where social and familial ties were forcibly broken. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, residents bulldozed most of the dividing wall, but a section was retained and is now a memorial and a museum recounts this period of the village’s history.

Said to be one of the most critical spots in the Cold War. This is  the point where US Armed Forces and the the Warsaw Pact faced each other for four decades over the East-West boundary, on what is the border between Hessen and Thuringia. Visitors can explore the entire complex by themselves, including the US  Camp, the House on the Border, border fortifications and reconstructions, the Patrol Road/Road of Hope and the Wiesenfeld Tower. Guided tours of the memorial site are available, and can be booked on the website.