The scaffolded tower in 1984, Photo: SLUB Dresden, Deutsche Fotothek

GDR-time

In 1949 a central school was built in the castle, the former manor house. Students in grades 1 to 8 from the municipalities of Kühnitzsch, Körlitz and Dornreichenbach started their classes on 1st September 1950. “Bright and friendly classrooms, abundant teaching material”, the adjoining school garden and the nearby sports field, enables all students an education on par with that of the city.

The ravages of time haven’t spared the Kühnitzsch Castle either, and repairs were being carried out on the roof. The municipal reacted by repairing the roof of the tower in 1952 for 14.320 DM. On 26th October, two documents from 1842, two documents from 1879 and 1906, a silver mark and a ten pfennig piece from 1900 out of the tower head came to light.

From 1984 the Kühnitzsch school became part of the Polytechnic Secondary School Falkenhain.

With funding extensive construction and repair work could be carried out on the building from 1991 to '94. This includes the installation of a modern heating system, a new fire protection system, new architectural styled and historically faithful windows, the renovation of the roof structure and the renewal of the sanitary facilities. Outside, the school yard is paved and designed child-friendly and environmentally friendly, furthermore new play equipment was added. The total investment amounts to 1.316.673 DM. The Kühnitzsch / Körlitz kindergarden moves into the newly renovated castle on 1st November 1995. Besides, there is an apartment and, from 1997, the special needs school in the building.

In a deep sleep

The castle with its kindergarden and the museum no longer remains to the municipal's property and is released for foreclosure auction by Mayor Gerd Härtel (Christian Democratic Union) in 2005.

Until 2008, the museum on the top floor curated by Home & Mill Association had to be evacuated and was transferred into the old distillery. The new owner of the castle in 2005 is the Bavarian agronomist Rudolf Schartl, who wanted to expand the castle into a guesthouse. A plan was never realized and after a long vacancy it came to a second foreclosure auction on 26th March 2013. According to the local court, the sales value was now € 220.000. Again, Rudolf Schartl became the new owner of the castle. The object belonges to him until 2015, before it changed hands through private sale.

In June 2019