Welcome to "Gut Amalienruh"
„Well, now I am here. A beached Robinson on a lonesome island, on the shore of the bygone time of periwigs a long time ago. Oh poor me, I haven’t got a newspaper to read. If the world will go on, when I am not part on it anymore, on the political movements, on courts and cabinets? Will there be a memorial for me when the world doesn´t find me in this afterlife anymore, which was my present life before? All questions of life, full of tremendous heaviness, enormous importance..“
When Ludwig Bechstein, a poet and collector of fairy tales, lost his way and met Amalienruh, he described Amalienruh in his novel „Sophienlust“ with these words.
Location & History
Amalienruh is situated on the southern slope of the Thuringian Forest with view onto Rhoen in a beautiful, densly wooded area. It is an idillic and historic place:
Already the Celts and Teutons colonized and populated the country in and around Amalienruh. The „Holy Mountain“ near Amalienruh displays this.
During the centuries it became a village, but died off in the period after 1490.
Little by little, it awoke to living again, but was destroyed in the Thirty Years´ War.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Elisabeth Sophie, Duchess of Saxony-Meiningen, fell in love with this court and allowed a summer residence to be built there in 1718.
In 1785 Amalienruh was given to the Duchess Charlotte Amalie who made it her widow´s residence. Also a great botanical estate with lots of exotic fruits appeared in Amalienruh at this time.
Till 1889 it was the property of the Dukes of Saxony-Meiningen. Later, at the beginning of the 19th century, the first female academy of Germany, a school for rural women, was founded at Amalienruh by Baroness Elisabeth of Pawel-Rammingen.
After the 2nd World War it was owned by the estate, and run by the people holding apprentice training.
Because Amalienruh is situated close to the Bavarian border, consequently a military area, it was abandoned and surrendered. The last inhabitants left it in 1995.
In 2003 the trustees sold it as remains.
Claus Siegfried Harnisch and Carl-Heinz Buck bought Amalienruh and made it a public utility foundation. This foundation gives the chance for interested and competent people to create a life form which could exist also in times of economic crisis. Amalienruh is able to fullfill this task, because it is away from the modern world, despite being situated in the middle of Germany, this little, self-sufficient village in the forest, without any public road around it– an enchanted island, Avalon, in the middle of Germany.
Pictures of the past and the present you will find in "Impressionen" on the left hand side". Click through the different links and you will find more.
How to spend your time at Amalienruh
Those who sstate that „life without television is unbearable“, should stay a few days at our residence.
Gut Amalienruh offers a lot of activities for adults and children. Experience life on the estate and enjoy being amongst nature:
walking tours in the woods around Amalienruh which, in former times, have been owned by the Dukes of Saxony-Meiningen
Horse riding
Museum of horse carriages
Horse carriage-tours
Experience pets and animals (horses, cows, pigs, hens, ducks, etc)
Exhibitions of agricultural work
History tour through the historical buildings of Amalienruh
and much more...
Chambers & Vacation Home/Bedrooms & Holiday Homes)
Holidays at Amalienruh – romantic place in the style of 18th Century:
1) The Italian Chamber (in the Castle) – for 2 persons (+ 1 camp bed possible)
2) Appartment (in the Castle) – 1 double room + 1 living room + bathroom with WC, shower andbath tub, camp bed possible
3) Vacation home (situated in an apartment building next to the castle) – 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen, 1 bath room with WC, shower, bath tub, campbed possible
Pictures you can find in "Urlaub auf dem Gut" on the left hand side.
If you are interested, please call 0049 (0) 36945 51777
Shop
At our estate-shop you can buy:
- herbs from our own herbal garden
- jam made of fruits grown in our orchard
- meat of red cattle (a very old and rare breed)
- eggs, vegetables
- seasonal fruits
and more
Contact
Gut Amalienruh Stiftung
Carl-Heinz Buck
Amalienruh 1
98617 Suelzfeld
Germany
Phone: 0049 (0) 36945 51777
Fax: 0049 (0) 36945 51777
E-mail: info(at)gut-amalienruh.de
Books and interesting links
Books about Amalienruh:
„Sophienlust“ by Ludwig Bechstein – only available in german language
Interesting links: