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For the World War II German radar, see Jagdschloss radar.

Jagdschloss is the German term for a hunting lodge. It is a schloss set in a wildlife park or a hunting area (such as a forest, field or by a lake) that served primarily as accommodation for a ruler or aristocrat and his entourage while hunting in the area.


A Jagdschloss was often the venue for a banquet accompanying a hunt, and sometimes it also hosted festivals and other events. The term Jagdschloss is often equated to the Lustschloss or maison de plaisance, particularly as the hunt was also a recreational activity. However, a Lustschloss and Jagdschloss differ in function as well as architecture. The layout and furnishing of a Lustschloss is unconstrained, while that of a Jagdschloss is always related to hunting: the walls may be adorned with antlers and other trophies, with scenes of hunting, and also by a deliberate use of wood or other natural materials.

A Jagdschloss could also be very lavishly furnished, but unlike with a Lustschloss, timber-framed buildings or log cabins were not uncommon. Only a few imposing stone buildings have survived, which colours the general understanding of what a Jagdschloss is today. A Jagdschloss often had stables and other outbuildings used to house hunting equipment, coaches and the entourage. Larger examples often form self-contained ensembles, while smaller ones, known as Jagdhäuser, were often built within castle parks and gardens, within range of the Residenz of the owner.

Surviving Jagdschlösser[edit]

Jagdschloss Wolfstein in Kochholz

See also[edit]


  • Monique Chatenet (ed.): Maisons des champs dans l'Europe de la Renaissance. Actes des premières Rencontres d'architecture européenne, Château de Maisons, 10-13 juin 2003. Picard, Paris, 2006, ISBN 2-7084-0737-6, (De Architectura 11).
  • Claude d'Anthenaise (ed.): Chasses princières dans l'Europe de la Renaissance. Actes du colloque de Chambord (1er et 2 octobre 2004). Fondation de la Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature. Actes Sud, Arles, 2007, ISBN 978-2-7427-6643-7.
  • Heiko Laß: Jagd- und Lustschlösser: Art and culture of two sovereign construction tasks; shown in Thuringian constructions of the 17th and 18th century. Imhof, Petersberg, 2006, ISBN 3-86568-092-5

External links[edit]

Media related to Hunting lodges at Wikimedia Commons