Der Osten: Entdecke, wo du lebst: Movie Castle and Sanatorium – The Castle of Vitzenburg

30 Min. MDR
on Air: 05.06.2018

A mysterious castle up on an old vineyard, surrounded by a landscape of unmatched beauty. A stubborn lord of the castle who rarely looks after the estate. A young baron who wants to save it. And a past that keeps dark secrets. The castle of Vitzenburg in the middle of the famous wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut.

Only recently Bibi and Tina galloped over the castle grounds at the behest of the successful director Detlef Buck. The castle was awakened from its beauty sleep for all four parts of the movie to be the film castle “Falkenstein”. Since than it has become a place of pilgrimage for fans of Bibi-and-Tina. But apart from that Vitzenburg has one striking feature: it is empty. The current owner is rarely there.
Georg Freiherr Baron von Münchhausen, 32 years old, whose family once owned the area, has recently bought back the castle hill, on which some of the oldest vineyards grow. “I want to save the castle and the castle gardens, the pavilion, the enchated vault cellars and the typical little wine press houses from deteriorating. Pubs could be built here, wine tours and concerts could take place!”

The castle of Vitzenburg has a turbulent past. Founded more than 1000 years ago it has been a nunnery, a monastery and later the residence of high nobilities. During the Second World War the “Red Baron” accommodated refugees from the east. But his opposition against the Nazis did not save him. After the end of the war the Soviets brought him to the concentration camp Buchenwald, where he died.
Since 1969 the castle of Vitzenburg was a child and adolescent psychiatry. For decades it was closed to the public.
The documentary searches for historical traces. It follows the more than 1000 year old history of the castle of Vitzenburg and the famous vine-growing region and it answers the question how the fairytale castle is dealt with today.