About us
The four-sided farm in Plottendorf is a characteristic farm building ensemble in respect to its layout in combination with its gatehouse, which was constructed in the 18th century. The grange yard is surrounded on all four sides by farm buildings, which is a typical arrangement for farms in the countryside of eastern Thuringia. The court has been in the same family for several generations and is now managed by a family corporation. The corporation’s mission is to receive the historical inheritance and to allow for an inter-generational near-to-nature management.
Law Regarding the Indivisibility of the Farms
The farms of Altenburg owe their impressive historical size of 30 to 40 hectares and their appropriately sized buildings in part to the fertile loess soil in the region, but also to a special inheritance based on a law regarding the indivisibility of the farms. Introduced by authorities in the late Middle Ages and maintained in the duchy of Sachsen-Altenburg, the law assured that the youngest son received the right to succeed into the court. The law prevented the division of the farms and therefore served as a basis for closed sustainment over many generations. Today there is no such law in the newly formed German states. In order to preserve the architecture of the remaining farms in the future, a new strategy will be needed.
Preservation Order
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After examination by regional authorities, the grange in Plottendorf has been added to the Thuringian Book of Historical Monuments.
