Museum Schloss Kuckuckstein Liebstadt

About the museum

The fortress on the rock above Liebstadt is said to have been built around 930 under King Henry I. In the 13th century the burgraves (Burggrafen) of Dohna lived here; during the Dohna Feud the castle was destroyed around 1400. In 1406 it passed to the Bünau brothers, and later changed owners frequently before the Carlowitz family acquired it at auction in 1774. Under Carl Adolf von Carlowitz, the castle served as a headquarters in 1813 during the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon.

After 1945 the castle was expropriated and initially belonged to the state, and from 1952 to the town of Liebstadt. In 2006 an entrepreneur acquired it but let it decay until it returned to the town. In 2018 a local family took over the complex, and the non-profit association "Schwarzes Kleeblatt e. V." was founded to rescue and revitalize it. In 2021 the castle was recognized as a nationally significant cultural monument, and in 2022 the historic Carlowitz Library returned.

Inside, early Romantic wall paintings and a small museum show the history of the house. Particularly striking are the Freemasonry objects such as lodge badges, aprons and oil paintings, which recall the lodge "Zu den drei Schwertern" ("To the Three Swords"). Restoration of the complex in line with heritage requirements is ongoing.

Highlights

• Freemasonry exhibition with lodge badges, aprons and paintings
• Early Romantic wall paintings in the interior rooms
• Library with valuable Freemasonry writings and the Carlowitz Library
• Knights' hall, Gothic hall and castle café
• Self-guided castle tour on opening days

Permanent exhibition

• Freimaurer-Museum und Schlossräume – Historic rooms, library and Freemasonry objects such as lodge badges, aprons and oil paintings.

Operated by

Natur-Romantik GmbH & Co. KG; Förderverein Schwarzes Kleeblatt e. V.

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The castle sits on a rock above the market square of Liebstadt in the Seidewitz valley.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Castle café on opening days.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Weddings in the Knights' hall (standard package for up to 30 people: €300; Bad Gottleuba registry office). Celebrations in the Tonne, the Gothic hall or the Knights' hall; the castle can also be booked as a photo location.

Plan your visit