Schloss Aurich, Castle and cultural heritage monument in Aurich, Germany
Schloss Aurich is a castle complex on the western edge of Aurich's old town, built from 1851 to 1855 by master builder Ernst Heinrich Blohm on the foundations of the 1448 Averborg of Count Ulrich Cirksena. Its oldest structure is the Marstall, former stables and coach houses partly dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The grounds include small parks and gardens open to the public.
Around 1380 the tom Brok family built Aurich's first chieftain's castle, the Nieburg, on the site of an earlier post-built structure; it was razed on 10 November 1430. Count Ulrich Cirksena then bought land just south of it in 1445 and had the Averborg built by 1448, a water castle with four towers. The present building was erected in 1851–1855 under Landbaumeister Ernst Heinrich Blohm on the 1448 foundations.
The name Averborg likely means "opposite the old castle, beyond the Aa". The site of Ulrich I's 1448 castle had earlier been used for horse and cattle markets. Today the grounds hold the Landgericht Aurich and the Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Bezüge und Versorgung, and the parks and small gardens around the buildings are freely accessible.
The eastern section houses the district court since 1879, while other parts serve the Lower Saxony State Office for Benefits and Pensions. As an active administrative building, access may be limited to official business hours.
The former stables and a smaller castle building next to the main structure now also serve administrative functions. These auxiliary buildings show how the entire estate transformed from a noble residence to a modern administrative complex.
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