Storkow Castle

Storkow Castle is a medieval castle in the small town of Storkow in the district of Oder-Spree in the German state of Brandenburg.HistoryThe castle would have been built in the mid-12th century during German settlement – probably on the site of a Slavic marsh castle. Its builder is likely to have been Margrave Conrad I of Meißen. The castle is first mentioned in 1209.Until 1382 the lords of Strehla were resident at the castle. They were succeeded by the lords of Bieberstein. In 1518 Ulrich of Bieberstein enfeoffed the castle to the Bishop of Lebus, Dietrich of Bülow. The castle was then expanded into an episcopal Residenz.In 1538, Stefan Meiße, a friend and comrade-in-arms of Hans Kohlhase, was tortured to death at the castle. In 1555 the last Roman Catholic bishop of Lebus, John VIII of Horneburg (1551 – 1555), died here. In 1556 the castle and lordship went to Margrave John of Brandenburg-Küstrin. After his death the castle and estate finally ended up in the possession of the electors of Brandenburg.