Plön – Plöna

Plön commented by Braun

“The Greater Lake, which borders the town and the castle to the south, is two miles long and one mile wide; it is full of fish and the eels exceed the other fish in size and volume; they are caught in five eel crates, one of which belongs to Heinrich Rantzau, the Governor of Denmark, who first tore it down and then rebuilt it from the ground up in a magnificent manner.”

Translation of cartouche text: Drawn on the instructions and at the expense of Heinrich Rantzau, lord of the Lower Elbe, in the year 1593, when he was 68.

Taschen on Plön

Plön is shown in a sweeping bird’s-eye view of the countryside surrounding the Greater and Lesser Lake Plön, on which a number of fishermen are seen at work. The palace of Heinrich Rantzau can be seen top left, while Plön castle lies directly above the town. A fortified complex was already established on Olsborg Island in Lake Plön by the 10th century; it was destroyed in 1158 and rebuilt in 1173 beside the small settlement of Plön. In the 12th century Plön grew into a market town and in 1236 received its charter. From 1636 to 1761 Plön was the official residence of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön.