Klippenstein Castle is the most impressive monument in the town of Radeberg and has been extensively restored in recent years. It is one of the most important testimonies of the ruling architecture under Elector Moritz of Saxony, the famous Wettin ruler. Members of the Saxon princely house often stayed here. The architectural language of the Renaissance has been preserved in many details in Klippenstein Castle in Radeberg.
The history of the castle complex goes back to the first documented mention as "Castrum Radeberch" in 1289. Moritz of Saxony had the castle expanded into a hunting and official castle in 1543-1546. Because of its location on a wedge-shaped cliff, the building was called "Klippenstein Castle".
In addition to its function as a residence of the nobility, the development of the castle's use was mainly influenced by its history as an official residence. The poet August Friedrich Ernst Langbein descended from the dynasty of the Langbein family, who were electoral bailiffs on Klippenstein in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It was not until 1952 that the local court in the castle was dissolved, after which the local history museum was founded. Each of these epochs has left traces in the castle.
The museum's exhibition refers to the history of architecture and use of the house, but the castle itself is the most important exhibit of the museum. The Black Kitchen and the adjacent Treasury in the south wing of the main castle are the heart of the exhibition with valuable objects from the history of the castle. The adjoining rooms provide an insight into the eventful history of Radeberg from the founding of the town to the middle of the 19th century. Using important evidence, a new show completed in 2015 presents the diverse development of the industrial town of Radeberg.
With its wide range of events and special exhibitions, Klippenstein Castle is a cultural center in the Dresden region.
Permanent exhibition on Radeberg's industrial history
On April 9, 2015, the permanent exhibition on Radeberg's industrial history was ceremonially opened at Klippenstein Castle under the title "Industrial City of Radeberg".
More than 500 exhibits as well as pictures and texts provide information about the history of Radeberg's industrial development in the interactively designed show. They underline the importance of the small Saxon town as an industrial location from the middle of the 19th century to the present day.
The reform kitchen of the company "Eschebach" is the prelude to the exhibition "Radeberg as an industrial town". Presented at the Leipzig Fair in 1927, it was produced in large numbers in Radeberg from 1935. The modular kitchen combined groundbreaking design with high functionality and could be adapted to a wide variety of needs. It is representative of the variety and multitude of industrial products that carried the name of Radeberg beyond the borders of Saxony and Germany.
Since its sudden rise as an industrial town from the mid-19th century onwards, important impulses for the economic development of the region emanated from Radeberg - in fields as diverse as furniture and glass production, television, computer and medical technology, the automotive industry and, last but not least, food production.
In 1872, a brewery was founded in Radeberg, whose world-famous Pilsner beer is still brewed here today. Only a few years later, the Heinrichsthal dairy in Radeberg introduced the first German Camembert cheese to the market. Between the world wars, "Gläser-Karosserie" built noble convertible car bodies for well-heeled customers. The "Sachsenwerk" produced television sets for the GDR living rooms and, as part of the "Robotron-Kombinat", the mainframe computer "R300". And "Keradenta" was the sole manufacturer to supply the Republic with artificial teeth.
Today, Radeberg proudly acknowledges its tradition as a "beer town" and is home to innovative companies in the automotive supply industry, biotechnology and medical technology, as well as life science, electronics and electrical engineering.
source: www.schloss-klippenstein.de
