The archive of Schloss Gültz holds a treasure that hardly any other manor house in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania possesses: the original files of the GDR restoration from 1982 to 1984. Minutes, official correspondence, colour schemes, material lists and historical photographs – official records that offer a rare insight into the preservation of historic monuments in the GDR.
The “Georg Ewald” Vocational School
After the expropriation of the von Maltzahn family in 1945 and the looting of the manor house, Schloss Gültz was used as the “Georg Ewald” company vocational school (Betriebsberufsschule, BBS). The school was under the authority of the Council of the District of Altentreptow (Neubrandenburg region) and mainly trained apprentices in agricultural occupations. A boarding facility was housed in the building.
The Renovation of 1982–1984
From 1980 to 1988 the manor house underwent a comprehensive renovation. The Büro für Stadt- und Dorfplanung Neubrandenburg (Office for Town and Village Planning), working together with the district monument conservation authority, drew up a detailed renovation plan. The surviving files document this process:
- Colour schemes for the historic façade – with material samples and colour swatches
- Photographs of the condition of the building before and during the renovation
- Official correspondence between the district monuments office, the regional building authority and the school management
- Minutes of the site meetings
- Material lists and cost calculations in GDR marks
What the Files Reveal
The documents show that even in the GDR, committed town architects and conservationists fought to preserve the historic fabric – despite shortages of materials and ideological headwinds. By this time the late neoclassical façade decoration had already largely been lost: rusticated banding, string courses between the storeys and window lintels had disappeared after the war. What remained were the pilasters on the central projection and the corner decorations on the gable.
The historical photographs show the manor house in a state that hardly anyone remembers today: as a working vocational school with a boarding house, embedded in the everyday life of a rural community in the GDR.
Shown for the First Time in 2025
The original files are owned by Schloss Gültz and were made accessible to the public for the first time in 2025. They can be seen on tours of the manor house; a digital exhibition on this website is in preparation.
Researchers, conservationists and historians may consult the files by prior appointment.
Interested in the original files? Contact us or join one of our group tours.