Time stood still at Schloss Güterfelde. Then it sprang back to life. Right before you stands Schloss Güterfelde a testament to changing times. Initially designed by David Gilly in 1804 its classicism whispered tales of a Prussian lottery owner August Friedrich Grothe-Buckow. He exchanged lands in Rudow for Gütergotz. His vision became a reality a stately home with a park and farmyard.
The story of Schloss Güterfelde is not a singular narrative. It’s a tapestry woven with threads of different eras and personalities. Each owner left their mark. After several changes in ownership Leopold von Albrecht a Teltow district administrator owned the property. Then in 1868 Prussian War Minister Albrecht von Roon acquired it. He christened it his “Brandenburgian Tusculum” a reference to wealthy Romans’ summer retreats. However he found the building neglected. Von Roon himself lamented its state saying “The heavy and massive manor house has hardly seen a builder since its construction 65 years ago. In a certain way magnificent but impractical built by the once famous Gilly it needed a complete reformation in body and limbs”. Extensive renovations followed. An unknown architect redesigned the facades in the French Neo-Renaissance style.
Schloss Güterfelde’s transformation continued. In 1873 von Roon sold the estate to banker Gerson von Bleichröder. Von Bleichröder had no formal heir but initiated further renovations blending French German and Italian Neo-Renaissance styles. He was reportedly inspired by the renovation of Schloss Ferrières commissioned by his admired Jakob Rothschild in 1855. Royal head gardener Theodor II Nietner redesigned the park.
The twentieth century brought new uses. In 1894 the Berlin Invalidity and Pension Insurance Institute established a sanatorium for lung patients at Schloss Güterfelde. Then from 1927 it served as a Reichswehr headquarters. Later the SA used it as a training facility. Following the Second World War the Soviet army handed the building over to the GDR in 1952. It became a senior citizens’ home. That same year the GDR Building Academy experimented with rammed earth construction in the former park. A rammed earth building resulted. A heating plant was built to its northeast.
In 2010 terraplan a Nuremberg company purchased Schloss Güterfelde and the rammed earth structure. Under the direction of Berlin architect Uwe Licht the buildings were converted into 36 condominiums. This complex is known today as Château de Roon. The southern part of the park was redesigned by the Nuremberg landscape architecture firm Oehm & Herlan. Berlin interior designer Eugen Gehring handled interior design. Work began in January 2012 and finished in early 2014. The northern park section’s restoration is planned. Four new semi-detached houses are also planned on the west side.
From its classical origins to its modern transformation Schloss Güterfelde has borne witness to centuries of history. Its walls hold echoes of laughter and hardship of wars and peace. This is more than just a building. It’s a living testament to the passage of time. It is a vibrant part of Berlin’s history. Its story is far from over.