Kransberg Castle is mostly known for having been Goering’s secret headquarters and where the American forces held the scientist Wernher von Braun’s family members in hiding from the Russians.
In 2012, I had to chance to visit the castle with the author Annie Jacobsen. More here: A Visit to Schloss Kransberg
The local paper, dated 28 May 2020, reported about the recent sale of the castle. For many years, the castle had just settled in dust, until 2012, when it had two potential buyers. The sale never came through though.
Now it has been sold to a Turkish-rooted investment company. The city of Usingen, which had the pre-purchase right, turned down the offer to buy it. The purchase price remains in the dark, but it is supposed to be below 1 million euro.
The new owner, Mr. Bilgiç Ertürk, had planned to turn the castle into an educational institute. Other Turkish investors supposedly had voiced their interest in cooperating with european universities.
These plans did not materialize, and so, concerts and weddings are taking place there now.
From 1979-1982 I lived and worked in Schloss Kransberg during it use by the US Army’s 5th Corps 3d Armored Division NCO Academy. About 25 of the staff and support personnel lived there permanently while 150 solders rotated in and out for a 4 week primary level Infantry NCO development course (PNCOC). We trained squad level tactics daily in the castle and in the forest immediately above the castle and then marched about 5 miles west for squad level day and night tactical training. About 1,500 junior level NCOs received intensive Leadership and Tactical training a year there.
Donald, thanks for sharing this with us!
Hello,
I was one of the soldiers that rotated through the Schloss in 1980. Originally from the Berlin Brigade. I attended PNCOC/CA and graduated class #5-80 16 May 1980. I have some photos of the main castle, but didn’t get any of the interiors. I remember the “puff board” up in the attic that was used to train calling and adjusting artillery fire. CSM Emmett Byrum was the Commandant.