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Ulviyya Poladova

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A historic castle in eastern Germany has been put up for sale for a symbolic price of just €1, as local authorities seek an investor willing to restore the centuries-old property.

The town of Bad Düben in the state of Saxony is selling Schnaditz Castle, which is believed to be around 800 years old, Bild reports, citing the local administration.

According to local district head Matthias Miethe, the building requires extensive renovation. He described the castle as an important historic landmark for the region and Saxony as a whole, noting that although its current appearance is in poor condition, the roof remains watertight.

Schnaditz Castle is a moated fortress covering approximately 1,012 square metres. The property includes a knights' hall and two towers.

The estate once belonged to the noble von Zaschnitz family, which became known in German literature through Heinrich von Kleist's novella Michael Kohlhaas (1777–1811).

The property was nationalised in 1945. During the GDR period, the castle housed residential apartments, the local administration, a post office, a kindergarten and various public service facilities. Following German reunification in 1990, the building remained unused for many years.

An earlier attempt to restore the castle was made in 2014, when a US citizen and her son planned to open a hotel, restaurant and wine bar there. However, the project never materialised, and the property returned to municipal ownership in 2018.

The town is now hoping that the symbolic asking price will attract an investor prepared to take on the restoration work and give the historic castle a new purpose.