Schloss (German pronunciation:[ˈʃlɔs]; pl. Schlösser), formerly written Schloß, is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.[1]
Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate word slot/slott is normally used for what in English could be either a palace or a castle (instead of words in rarer use such as palats/palæ, kastell, or borg). In Dutch, the word slot is considered to be more archaic. Nowadays, one commonly uses paleis or kasteel. But in English, the term does not appear; for instance, in the United Kingdom, this type of structure would be known as a stately home or country house.
Most Schlösser were built after the Middle Ages as residences for the nobility, not as true fortresses, although originally, they often were fortified. The usual German term for a true castle is Burg, while that for a fortress is Festung (sometimes also Veste or Feste), and typically either Palast or Burg for a palace. However, the term Schloss is still used for many castles, especially those that were adapted as residences after they lost their defensive significance. Many adaptations took into account new tastes arising during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Like a castle, a Schloss may be surrounded by a moat; it is then called a Wasserschloss (water castle). Other related structure types include the Stadtschloss (a city palace), the Jagdschloss (a hunting lodge), and the Lustschloss (a pleasure palace or summer residence).
Although they appeared much earlier than the period defined by this term, medieval CarolingianKaiserpfalzen structures are sometimes considered as being Schlösser in nature. Among those that would qualify are the Palace of Aachen and the Imperial Palace of Goslar.
(Relating to places in use for long periods of times, having been extended and perhaps having had renovations in different styles than those of their respective eras – and therefore, displaying at least two and often, multiple styles)
