The irregular three-winged complex was built from the 16th to the 19th century on the remains of a medieval castle. In the 19th century the hereditary marshal Count Hahn had the castle remodeled by the Berlin architect Stüler. In 1891 neo-Renaissance forms were added in parts. Particularly noteworthy are the terracotta portraits on the facade. The largest landscape park in the country (200 ha) was created by Peter Joseph Lenné in the middle of the 19th century. The castle and outbuildings are being converted into a hotel resort.
Discoverers will find a jewel of Prussian architecture and garden art in the castle and garden complex of Basedow in Mecklenburg Switzerland - a place that was first mentioned in a document in 1247. What makes the ensemble unique is the fact that the design for the reconstruction of the castle by the Prussian master builder Friedrich August Stüler (1800-1865) was set in relation to the village and the designs for the gardens by the Royal Prussian garden director Peter Joseph Lenné (1789-1866) were set in relation to the landscape.
In this way, a homogeneous ensemble has been created, which is also referred to as an "ornamental farm". Here, the beautiful is harmonized with the useful, that is, landscape beautification with simultaneous agricultural use. The Basedow estate is one of Lenné's outstanding garden creations. Until the end of the Second World War, the former manor of Theodorisch Luch was owned by the important Mecklenburg noble family of the von Hahn family, which had been responsible for architectural testimonies such as the castle, the stables and the extensive park since the Middle Ages.
The owner of the castle was Count Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Hahn (1804-1859). The building was remodeled many times. The oldest preserved evidence is the castle ruins on the garden side. By the way: descendants of the von Hahn family run a restaurant and café with rural products in the former sheepfold, which is open daily from April to October 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and invites to leisure hours after or before the castle tour.
