The manor house was commissioned by Carl von Behr-Negendank and built by the Strelitz court architect Friedrich Wilhelm Buttel around 1825. Around 1850, the castle was extended by the addition of an orangery and a two-story living area. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful park of 21 hectares.
Semlow Manor served as the residence of the Behr von Negendank family until the Second World War. After 1945, the manor house was looted and partially destroyed. From 1945 to 1989 it was owned by the municipality of Semlow and was used, among other things, as a school, kindergarten, dining hall and home to the municipal library.
At the time of its completion around 1826, the two-storey manor house consisted only of the present central part of the building. Its front facade, facing the village, contains 15 window axes, of which the middle three are on the central risalite. About halfway up the central risalite, there is an altan supported by four columns and below it an entrance leading to the banquet hall.
The rear of the building is three stories high and has 17 window axes, the middle five of which project from the building as a central risalite. The eastern extension was built as an orangery only around 1850 and was crowned by a square tower. This tower fell victim to the extensive renovation work after 1945, which is also responsible for the generally rather plain appearance today.
The park, which is beautiful at any time of the year and covers approximately 21 hectares, with its large pond, contains many dendrological features. It was laid out in 1852 by Gustav Meyer in the English style - wide meadow areas, extensive network of paths with visual axes to the castle, system of ditches and ponds with seven bridges. Today the park is one of the few preserved gardens of the royal Prussian court gardener. The centerpiece is a large pond, which was created in 1853 in place of a marshy meadow.
In 2012, the palace was purchased by the Fred Hantke family from the municipality. Since then, the Biedermeier castle has been gently restored to its historic ambience. The family lives and works in the castle themselves. Various events such as family celebrations, weddings, readings, concerts, exhibitions, salon breakfasts and theme brunches take place in the banquet hall. The summer cafe` has become a popular meeting place from May to September. The lovingly designed vacation apartments invite you to stay.
Peace and culture are the focus here.
The directly adjacent English landscape park has been preserved as far as possible in its unique historical origin. Here you can observe deer, herons, rare bird species, kestrels up close.
SUMMERCAFÈ
Enjoy our castle café after a long walk in the English landscape park.
Opening hours (until September): Tuesday to Friday - 11:00 to 17:00 (subject to change).
