Ziesar Castle

Ziesar Castle is one of the few preserved bishop's residences in Brandenburg. The lowland castle is located on the southern edge of the small town of Ziesar, on the eastern bank of the Kobser Bach. Ziesar Castle was the residence of the Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Brandenburg and the Bishop of the Diocese of Brandenburg.

Ziesar was first mentioned in the founding charter of the Diocese of Brandenburg in 948 as civitas ezeri. The Emperor transferred the towns of Pritzerbe and Ziesar, along with the surrounding lands, to the newly established diocese. As there was an uprising of the Slavs in 983, during which Brandenburg and its surrounding areas, including Ziesar, fell into the hands of pagan Slavs, the bishops lived from this time onwards in continuous formal appointment but in exile in Magdeburg as titular bishops and had no power over their territories in the east. This situation lasted for almost 200 years until Albert the Bear was able to reconquer Brandenburg in 1157. The castle in Ziesar became a secondary residence of the bishops of Brandenburg. Starting in 1213, Bishop Baldwin had the swamp castle in the marshy area south of the town converted into brick construction. At that time, Brandenburg an der Havel, Pritzerbe Castle, and Ziesar were alternating residences of the prince-bishops. The place Ziesar and some other places did not belong to the Mark Brandenburg, but rather as a bishopric territory to the prince-bishopric of Brandenburg.

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