Skaby Castle in flames: fire causes millions in damage!

Skaby Castle in flames: fire causes millions in damage!

In a dramatic incident, that is historical Skaby Castle burst into flames in Spreenhagen (Oder-Spree) on Saturday morning. According to the police, the amount of damage is over one million euros. The roof structure of the impressive building, which was built at the behest of Frederick the Great around 1780, burned out completely. The fire was extinguished by midday, but the emergency services from 13 fire departments were extinguishing the fire until midday. Fortunately, there were no injuries while the cause of the fire remains unclear.

Skaby Castle has an eventful history behind it. Originally commissioned by the Royal Court Chamber as a manor house, it has undergone numerous transformations. In the 1920s, for example, it was used as a hunting lodge. Later, around 1925, the Franciscan Order took over the area and set up an educational home where Jewish young people were also prepared for their future emigration. During the Second World War, the castle served as a military hospital before it was taken over by the Stasi after the war and was considered a restricted area until the fall of the Wall. Since then it has stood empty and fallen into disrepair.

A piece of history

The castle was used not only as a residence but also for various social purposes. In the 1930s, the Hachshara movement became active here to prepare Jewish young people for emigration to Palestine. This training, formally known as “fitness,” included practical agricultural and craft skills, an important component of Jewish mobilization during this period. The Skaby Hachshara estate was active from May 1939 until its dissolution in February 1943, helping young people prepare for their new lives.

An important name that is inextricably linked to the history of Skaby Castle is that of Walter Aschenbrenner. Born in 1913 in Czechoslovakia, he was part of the Hakhshara group in this estate. Aschenbrenner and many of his companions found a place within Skaby Castle that offered both refuge and hope. Until the dissolution of the Hakhshara camps in 1943, applications for emigration to Paraguay were made and some actually made the journey, although others tragically fell into the maelstrom of arrests and deportations.

The castle is therefore not only an architectural relic, but also an important witness to the history that is linked to the fate of those people who lived and worked here. The acute fire and the structure in danger of collapsing now cast a shadow over the efforts to preserve and possibly revitalize this historic site, whose destruction is getting ever closer.

The coming days will show what measures will be taken to secure Skaby Castle and possibly preserve its history in some form. It seems it is time to dedicate a new chapter to this story and the memories it holds.