South wing of the Castle in front of Husum (in German: "Schloss vor Husum"); Husum, Schleswig-Hostein, Germany
Some background information:
The Castle in front of Husum is located in the town of Husum in the district of North Frisia in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the only palace on the west coast resp. the North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The castle derives its name from its location at the time when it was built, because at that time, it was situated in front of the town boundaries and not inside of them.
The castle lies in a park with very large trees. Particularly in spring and summer these trees make it rather difficult to have a look at the building. It is only possible at a few spots because of the trees‘ leaves. However, the front façade is easily accessible, but it is also difficult to photograph because of the castle’s high tower. Taking photos of the castle’s front façade from a good distance isn’t possible too. One either needs a wide-angle lens or has to make a decision about photographing either a total of the front façade or a total of the tower. Although the park is characterised by rank growth, it is a popular visitor attraction in early spring because of the annual crocus bloom.
Before the Castle in front of Husum was erected, the place was the spot of the so-called Graukloster (in English: "Grey Abbey"), which was probably established in 1494 and belonged to the Francsican order. Franciscan monks used to wear grey habits and that’s where the monastery’s name derives from. During the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved and the monastery building was repurposed as a house for the poor and sick from 1528 onwards.
Duke Adolf I of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, the first ruler of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, planned a new palace in Husum and chose the site of the former monastery as the location. The castle was built from 1577 to 1582 in the Renaissance style and designed to serve as a residence for the ducal court during their stays on the West Coast. After Duke Adolf I, his successors Friedrich II, Philipp, and Johann Adolf also used the Castle in front of Husum. However, the main ancestral castle and seat of government remained at Gottorf Castle near the town of Schleswig.
Since the 17th century, Husum Castle has been designated as a widow's residence. Duchess Augusta, the widow of Johann Adolf, regularly resided in the palace from 1610 to 1639. Under her and the subsequent Duchess Maria Elisabeth, both the town and the castle experienced a short cultural boom. Artists were brought to the court, and the castle was expanded and furnished in an early Baroque style. Maria Elisabeth, the widow of Friedrich III, lived almost exclusively there from 1660 to 1684. In the decades that followed her death the castle was rarely used.
In 1721, following the lost Great Northern War, both the Castle in front of Husum and the town of Husum came under the ownership of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, the Danish royal house had only a moderate interest in maintaining buildings located far from the Danish mainland. Hence, the Castle in front of Husum remained vacant and was minimally maintained. Significant changes occurred when the Danish King Frederick V expressed interest in occasionally staying in the western part of the duchies. He planned a modernization of the Husum Castle and his plans were implemented in major renovation works carried out from 1750 to 1752. The old Renaissance palace was renovated in a reduced form by the state architect Otto Johann Müller, incorporating baroque elements to align with the spirit of the time.
Since 1752, the castle also housed the Husum district's administrative offices, including the district administrator's residence. However, as from the end of the 18th century, the building was once again neglected. In the first half of the 19th century, the castle saw an increased usage for royal visits. Notably, King Frederick VI, frequently visited Husum in the 1820s and his successor Christian VIII did the same in the 1840s. Under him the Castle in front of Husum underwent partial modernisation.
In 1864, following Denmarks defeat in the German-Danish War, Schleswig-Holstein came under Prussian administration. Both the district administration and the district court of the Husum district moved into the castle and the well-known German writer and poet Theodor Storm served as a district judge and councilor in the building from 1867 to 1880.
In 1871, the writer, artist and translator Fanny zu Reventlow, the daughter of the district administrator Ludwig Graf zu Reventlow, was born in the castle. Later, Fanny zu Reventlow became famous as the "Bohemian Countess" of the Munich district of Schwabing. In the years leading up to World War I, she was an "it girl" of sorts and hence, also the bad apple of her aristocratic family.
After the end of the German Empire, the Husum district purchased the building from the former crown property. Gradually, the administration expanded and occupied almost the entire house, except for the district administrator's apartment. The castle survived the World Wars of the 20th century without destruction.
Today, The Castle in front of Husum is home to the Department of Culture and the Music School of the North Frisia district, as well as the North Frisia Foundation. Furthermore, it also houses a museum, which showcases the former royal reception rooms, the castle chapel and several other rooms with their furnishings.
The harbour town of Husum is located on the German North Sea coast by the Bay of Husum. It is the administative centre of the district of North Frisia and home to almost 24,000 residents. It is the venue of the annual international piano festival "Rarities of Piano Music" and the birthplace of the well-known novelist Theodor Storm. Because of Storm‘s poem "Die Stadt" (in English: "The Town") Husum has been nicknamed "die graue Stadt am Meer" (in English: "the grey town by the sea").
