Did you know that the Forsthaus Willrode has seen centuries pass? It started as a small fortified place. Now, it is a cultural meeting point. It is a popular destination near Erfurt.
The Forsthaus Willrode’s story began around the 11th century. It was a time of forest clearing. The first written record of Willrode dates back to 1204. It served as a base for the Counts of Gleichen. Graf Heinrich von Gleichenstein sold the estate in 1290. The buyer was the Neuwerkskloster in Erfurt. King Rudolf von Habsburg I protected this monastery.
From 1290 to 1450, the Neuwerkskloster managed the property. The Thuringian Counts’ War brought destruction. The Saxon Brothers’ War also damaged the estate. A nearby village named Willroda became a wasteland.
In 1450, Claus Hildebrant took over the estate. He was a patrician from Erfurt. He rebuilt the fallen estate. He constructed a high wall. Ditches offered defense. It became a small water castle again. Claus Hildebrant lived from 1400 to 1477.
In 1471, Freidank von Willrode inherited the estate. He studied law. Later, he managed the Saxon escort in Erfurt. Freidank expanded the chapel. He commissioned an altarpiece. He also ordered stonework. The chapel might be modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This honored Otto Ziegler, Freidank’s grandfather. He was knighted during a pilgrimage.
Freidank von Willrode received the estate as a hereditary fief in 1495. He prevented the division of the estate. It would pass to the eldest family member. Emperor Maximilian I confirmed this inheritance in 1510. Freidank von Willrode lived from 1430 to 1511.
In 1573, the Willrode family sold the estate to the Erfurt council. The price was 9,000 guilders. This sum was never to be reduced. The city paid 5% interest annually to the eldest family member. The “Fundation and Stammregister derer von Willrode” in 1603 recorded the heirs. Mainz electors confirmed it. The Willrode estate became a unique family legacy.
The Erfurt council secured the estate. It prevented outsiders from acquiring it. Stewards managed the land. They paid taxes and hosted hunts. The estate shifted from agriculture to forestry.
In 1664, the Archbishop of Mainz annexed Erfurt. The estate of Forsthaus Willrode became his. This did not change the obligations to the Willrode heirs.
From 1664 to 1802, Mainz ruled the estate. Forestry and hunting increased. Surrounding villages had to provide forced labor. The Mainz governors maintained the estate well. They restored it and made it a hunting lodge. Goethe and Duke Carl August visited the Forsthaus Willrode. Karl Theodor von Dalberg, the Mainz governor, likely invited them. Goethe noted in his diary about one such visit.
In 1803, the Forsthaus Willrode became Prussian property. After 1806, Napoleon ruled the estate. He gave it to Count Tascher de la Pagerie. After 1813, it returned to Prussia. Willrode became a Prussian forest district. This lasted until 1945. The Willrode Foundation existed until World War II. A new association was founded later. It organized donations to restore the estate, especially the chapel.
During the GDR era, the Forsthaus Willrode decayed. After reunification, many people helped restore it. The Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Forsthauses Willrode e.V. played a key role.
In 2012, the end of the restoration was celebrated. The association also marked its 20th anniversary. Today, the Free State of Thuringia owns the estate. It houses the Thuringian Forest Office. It is a cultural venue and a popular destination.
Inside the Forsthaus Willrode, you can find a historical exhibition. Since 2017, you can explore the Forsthaus Willrode’s past in the chapel’s upper floor. The chapel itself dates back to 1495. Freydank von Willrode and his wife Katharina Schwab founded it. It is now used for services, readings, and events. The Forsthaus Willrode has truly come full circle.