Medieval to 1932

  • 1083 First proper castle built.
  • 1200 Town of Colditz established.
  • 1430 Castle destroyed by fire.
  • 1464 Rebuilt by Ernst of Saxony.
  • 1504 Castle and much of town burned.
  • 1506 Rebuilt and converted to hunting lodge.
  • Early 1600’s Duke George of Saxony gave his wife Sofia a neighbouring wood around which he had a wall built and named it the ‘Tiergarten’.
  • Then fell into disrepair and in 1800 became a poor-house.
  • 1829 State used it as a lunatic asylum – lasted 100 years.
  • Was NOT a POW Camp during WWI (still an asylum).