The castle in Offenbach's old town center is a place where history was written: It was here that the people of Frankfurt handed over the keys to the city to Swedish King Gustav Adolf during the Thirty Years' War. The striking red building on the banks of the Main, although never completed, is considered an important Renaissance building north of the Alps. Today, it is home to the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG), an art school known far beyond Offenbach.
Is Isenburg Castle the reason why Frankfurters have a hearty dislike of Offenbach? Who knows. One thing is certain: from there, the Swedish king, who had previously been victorious several times, threatened the imperial city until it opened its gates to the Protestant leader. An almost incomprehensible event for the electoral and coronation city of the (Catholic) German emperors.
The landlord of Offenbach Palace at the time was the Count of Isenburg-Offenbach. The Isenburgs had already moved from Birstein (Vogelsberg) to the Main around 80 years earlier. Bad luck for them: After five years in their new home, the building burned down in 1564. What was then planned as a large, four-winged complex was never realized. The north wing remained. A charming side aspect: its south side with the two towers, which was actually intended as a front to the inner courtyard, turned out to be so magnificent, with its figural archways and other decorations, that it established the castle's reputation as an important Renaissance building north of the Alps.
The castle was the official seat of the Principality of Isenburg-Birstein until 1816. In 1900, it became the property of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt. Today it belongs to the state of Hesse. Renovation work began in 1998 with the aim of preparing the four-storey building (plus two floors in the roof) for the HfG. Teaching began just two years later. Since 2008, the extensively renovated façade has been the pride of the university.
The HfG was previously located in surrounding buildings from 1910 as the former School of Arts and Crafts. The city of Offenbach and the university are currently working together to design a campus that will become a new cultural venue in Offenbach.
