Thuringia: Foreclosure of Hummelshain Castle in November

Instead of conference centre: 1-room flat in the castle

Dr. Lutz Rothe is an engineer for radio technology. He lives alone in only a few rooms in the magnificent building that was to become a modern conference centre for his former AlphaSat GmbH many years ago. On weekends, he occasionally guided visitors through the castle. Many an interested person could not believe that at that time various criminal proceedings were being conducted against the owner of the castle, among other things for delaying insolvency. In the private guided tours he knew how to convey the knowledge and history of Hummelshain well, his appearance was always polite and eloquent. His company, however, became insolvent after the purchase of Hummelshain and left debts in the millions. Although he knew that the plans he had made were no longer feasible, he continued to communicate to the public the impending restoration of the castle and the promised subsidies. But instead of a castle renovation, the building was "secured" elsewhere and sold to a Swiss company in the background to protect it from creditor access.

First redevelopment measures thanks to support association

It is thanks to the unprecedented commitment of the Förderverein Schloss Hummelshain with its chairman Rainer Hohberg that a dialogue with the owner was successful. With the support of the Free State of Thuringia, the first securing work was carried out. A long-term solution for this important monument has not yet been found, however.

Estimated investment needs: more than 10 million euros

Even if the estimated market value of €700,000 seems low, the investment needs are enormous and are estimated at well over €10 million. The fact that the castle is now to be auctioned off so quickly also has a bitter aftertaste: the past has shown that real estate auctions of castles, palaces and manor houses repeatedly attract speculators and right-wing extremist groups. The forced auction of a manor in Kohren-Sahlis (district of Leipzig) in Saxony in 2016, for example, caused a scandal: when a journalist asked what was to become of the manor, the highest bidder replied: "A concentration camp". The association hopes for a capable investor and will do everything in its power to prevent Hummelshain Castle from falling into the wrong hands again on 5 November 2020.