The Old Palace @museum.de

The venerable Old Palace has had an eventful history.

The rustic, octagonal tower built of finely dressed stone seems to grow out of the building’s roof. It’s the oldest surviving part of the medieval castle: the former keep, which dates to around 1200. To the left of the keep, you can still see a vertical seam in the masonry and an added opening with a round arch. The adjoining cube-shaped wing of the building on the left was once a great hall or a bower.

And if you turn to the right, you’ll notice the irregular wall of the building at the entrance to the site – the one at right angles to the tower building. It was a kind of entrance bastion, and with a little imagination, you can even picture the moat and drawbridge that existed at the time.

In the mid-15th century, the medieval “Dornburg” (Thorn Castle) was destroyed in the Saxon Fratricidal War and long remained derelict. It wasn´t until the 16th century that the ruined structures were connected to form today's three-wing complex. The work was overseen by the court architect Nickel Gromann. He also built the Green Palace in Weimar, which went on to house the Duchess Anna Amalia Library.

During the following two decades, the Old Palace served as a dowager house for the widows of Weimar’s ducal family. For example, Duchess Anna-Maria von Altenburg lived at Dornburg from 1612 to 1643. Her name is also associated with what’s known as the “Kroatensturz”, literally, the Croatians’ Fall, during the Thirty Years' War. It involved a ruse that resulted in the enemy cavalry being driven off the limestone cliff.

From the middle of the 18th century, in other words, after completion of the Rococo Palace, the Old Palace was barely used by the ducal court. At various times, it housed a cotton spinning mill, Dornburg’s administrative offices and the local school. And in the late 19th century, the hall building was turned into accommodation for city dwellers who came to Dornburg for a summer retreat. They included the poets Frieda von Bülow, Sophie Hoechstetter and Ina Seidel.

After the Second World War, the microbiologist Hans Knöll set up an entertainment suite there for his "Institute for Microbiology and Experimental Therapy". The Old Palace also housed a retirement home during this period.

Today, the venerable building serves as a conference centre for the University of Jena and a venue for cultural events. If you’re interested, you can take part in a guided tour to view the historic interiors.