Erxleben: Castle History, Church and Museum

Erxleben brings together castle history, sacred art, the history of pharmacy and nature in the surrounding area. Its historic buildings tell the story of different centuries: from Hausmannsturm tower and the construction phases of Erxleben II Castle to St. Godehardt Castle Church. The museum in the pharmacy complements these themes with a collection on the history of pharmacy.

Hausmannsturm Tower and Erxleben II Castle

Hausmannsturm Tower was built as a stone gate tower after 1219. A drawbridge crossed the outer moat. As the oldest surviving building in Erxleben Castle, two-thirds of the tower is Romanesque. Its gate function, moat and bridge form a clear part of its construction history.

Erxleben II Castle was built from 1526 on the foundations of the New Kemenate, dating from 1430. In 1563, the rear castle was added on its south side in Renaissance forms. The former brewery or malt house was built to the west by 1563; it was later converted into a residence. The three-storey front castle had been renovated by 1682. The dates show how the complex developed through several construction phases.

Erxleben II Castle is considered a heritage site of national significance. The German Foundation for Monument Protection has supported conservation work on the castle. Alongside its construction history, the preservation of the historic structure is also a focus.

Castle Church, Art and Local History

St. Godehardt Castle Church was built between 1564 and 1580. Its furnishings include works of art spanning four centuries. These include a carved Baroque altar, an elaborately designed pulpit and a pastor’s pew by Tobias Wilhelmi the Elder, an organ by Heinrich Herbst, and an epitaph for Joachim I von Alvensleben. The wide range of dates represented by these works adds further periods to the church’s architectural history.

Concerts, church services, readings, exhibitions and guided tours are associated with the castle church. If you would like to include a concert or tour in your travel plans, check the dates in advance. Erxleben also has a biographical connection: Albert Niemann was born at the Gasthaus zur Post on January 15, 1831.

The History of Pharmacy at the Museum

The museum in the pharmacy displays a pharmaceutical collection tracing the history of pharmacies from the early 17th century through the GDR era. It also includes items from the Erxleben pharmacy, considered one of the oldest pharmacies in the region. The museum thus complements the architectural and art history with a distinct perspective on pharmaceutical objects and their place in time. If you are planning a museum visit, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Woodland, Geology and Walks in the Surrounding Area

Nearby, the Bartenslebener Forst and Erxlebener Forst form a contiguous woodland area of more than ten square kilometres. The natural beech and oak-hornbeam forests in the nature reserve are considered particularly appealing. Large sinkholes there were formed by the dissolution of the underlying gypsum—a geological feature that adds another point of interest to the woodland’s forest types.

Bartenslebener Forst provides a habitat for cranes and greenshanks, as well as opportunities for long walks. The nature reserve is also designated as the EU Habitats Directive site “Bartenslebener Forst im Aller-Hügelland.” Woodland, birdlife and sinkholes formed by gypsum dissolution describe different aspects of the nearby landscape.

Cycling Routes in the Project Context

According to the project status in 2022, the Ferkeltaxen cycle route was planned as a 28-kilometre panoramic route along the disused Eilsleben–Haldensleben railway line; Erxleben was one of the participating municipalities. In the Ferkeltaxe cycle route project, Erxleben/Uhrsleben station is a hub with connections to Erxleben and Uhrsleben. If you are planning a ride, check the route and the status of completed sections in advance.

The Börde as a Wider Travel Region

In the wider travel destination of Börde, the district stretches from the fertile Börde in the south—the largest contiguous area of black soil in Germany—to the meadows and wetlands of the Drömling in the north. Wooded ridges and the Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide shape the centre of the district; the heath is home to Europe’s largest contiguous lime forest. The central part of the district is a hilly landscape that includes the Erxleben-Hörsingen ridge.

Discover more destinations: Bertingen, Bülstringen, Oebisfelde-Weferlingen, Schwaneberg, Kroppenstedt, Altenhausen, Eimersleben, Loitsche-Heinrichsberg.

View the wider travel overview: Börde.