Historic Snapshot
Gut Blankenberg’s colored history mirrors Prussian, German and European economic, social and political fashions; growth, and wars over time in Brandenburg
1580
Historic record mentioning a gabled castle existing on the site;Â various records list the estate going back and forth between the crown and a few local families for generations.
1780
Present manor house built; for many decades various sales and trades occur between local families. The estate was mostly leased as working farm.
1830
The south annex Garden Hall was completed with ceiling murals; a re-decoration with ceiling plasterwork in neogothic style that still exists was completed ca. 1880.
1900
Complete redesign of the manor house resulting in new floorpans and its present form: a Reformarchitektur interpretation of neoclassical symmetry.
1933
Then owner was forcibly removed by the newly empowered National Socialist government
Until WW2
The house, park and lake area remained in private hands (as per records) and were used as a regional base for the National Socialist government's Reich Labor Service branch for boys
After WW2 until 1989
The manor was confiscated and collectivized by the East German government. The original park leading to the lake (at present part of the nature reserve) was bulldozed to make way for a large scale pig farm. The house was used for administration, housing and feeding laborers. An industrial vehicle scale and a petrol station were constructed on the front lawn.
1990s-2000s
After German reunification, the estate was sold along with the neighboring manor by the state to private investors. Both estates and villages were adapted for big agriculture and heavy machinery, some of the historic estate was converted into a wind park with wind turbines. The manor house in Blankenberg was left mostly vacant.
2018
The manor house and 2 hectares surrounding it were sold to us - making us the second private owners. We registered the house and remains of the manor park with the heritage office and began planning for conservation efforts. We were able to successfully secure two grants from LEADER: an EU-wide programme supporting rural development.
2019
Renovation began right after completion of heritage research. Extensive repairs to roof timbers and new historic tiles, double glazing on restored and historically replicated windows, and new larch wood cladding and solar panels on a 1980s barn have all been heritage guided.
We aim to conserve remains of the park, designed around a surviving historic plan and lawn. We removed 100s of square meters of concrete and an industrial-size electricity pole, have added over 1000 bushes and trees, including a semi-mature partly evergreen structure of yew and hornbeam hedges.
We also worked with local landowners and government authorities, a wind energy company and a private foundation to remove 8 industrial pig stalls and create a protected reserve for red kites on the neighboring property in 2022.
2022
Renovation work continues. Replastering of the outside façade and the restoration of the historic hall are moving forward, made possible by a generous grant from the Special Program for Heritage Protection of the Bundestag. We are investing privately to install a state-of-the-art heat pump central heating system, an energy-efficient alternative to traditional furnaces. We are also installing a biological sanitation system.
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Extensive work continues in the park. Dozens of nesting boxes for birds and bats have been coordinated with the environmental agency and a commercial donor. A memorial tree was planted in honor of the owner in 1933, donated with us by his descendants.