History

In 1569, Peter Rantzau inherited Ahrensfelde Castle – which had previously stood 3 km south of the palace – and the surrounding land from his brother Daniel Rantzau. In an idyllic spot in the Hunna Valley, Peter Rantzau had a stately estate built, featuring Ahrensburg Castle, which was completed in 1585. A little later, the estate church and the so-called ‘Gottesbuden’ (God’s huts) were built opposite the castle; these still serve today as accommodation for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In 1759, Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann acquired the estate, including the manor house. Schimmelmann made his fortune, amongst other things, through the so-called ‘triangular trade’ in slaves; however, as lord of the manor at Ahrensburg, he was very concerned with the long-term improvement of his subjects’ living conditions. Ahrensburg remained in the possession of the Schimmelmann family for six generations, until the counts were forced to sell the castle in 1938.

Thanks to the initiative of the Ahrensburg hotelier Hans Schadendorff (1898–1967), the castle was preserved as a cultural monument. The state of Schleswig-Holstein, the district of Stormarn, the Kreissparkasse (now Sparkasse Holstein) and the town of Ahrensburg then took over the sponsorship of the ‘Verein Schloss Ahrenburg e.V.’, which opened the castle museum in 1938. Following its closure due to the war and subsequent renovation, the castle has served as a museum without interruption since 1955.

Several extensive refurbishment and restoration projects (1983–1985 and 2009–2015) ensured that the castle now shines in renewed splendour.

At the end of 2002, the castle was converted into a foundation under civil law.