outworks. After von Mansfeld's troops withdrew, the counts of East Frisia held the castle for a short period, until it was occupied by Hessian troops from 1637 to 1640. They completed the expansion of the fortress by building a fortified substation as a complement to the existing ravelin and the actual castle. The entire complex comprised at that time a three-winged main castle with corner tower, the old bailey to the gatehouse, stables, peat barn, burgrave's mansion and garrison church on the upper floor of the gatehouse, outer wall with powder tower and a ravelin on the south side, between the Jümme and the main complex. On the east side was the new substation, consisting of barracks, houses and farm buildings. In total, there were four batteries, four in the main castle and one in the substation. After Prussia gained control of East Frisia in 1744, the castle no longer served any purpose and Frederick the Great ordered it razed. Today only the large round tower from 1498 remains and traces of the fortifications. In 1822, the gatehouse was extended and converted into the bailiff's office. On the outside wall of this building, a coat of arms dating from 1578 can be seen. The round tower was used as a prison, as well as the bailiff's residence. The former substation evolved into the village of Stickhausen. In 1885, the castle came into private hands. During the Second World War, the tower was damaged by artillery fire. In 1951, the first measures were taken to preserve the tower. Today the tower is a heritage and folk art museum. On the ground floor are the prison cells with instruments of torture such as the rack and clamps. On the first floor of the living conditions of the prison guard are shown, while the second floor is devoted to the history of the castle. In the attic, finally, a bird and bird egg collection are on display. Footnotes External links Stickhausen Castle Castles in Lower Saxony