History of the Building

The Drostei building was built in 1765-1767 in baroque style as a residential and administrative centre for the Conferenzrat Hans von Ahlefeldt, Knight of the Danebrog Order and Landdrost (governor) of the rule of Pinneberg of the Danish Crown. In pre-danish time, before 1640, when the County of Holstein-Pinneberg had been part of the Earldom of Schauenburg, the Landdrosts appointed by the Schauenburg Earls, had governed their domain from the same place. Already in 1390 the Schauenburg Earls had united the rule of Holstein-Pinneberg with their Earldom on the river Weser.
Hans von Ahlefeldt bought the Drostei site at the Dingstätte including the former building positioned on this place, from the Countess of Callenberg, widow of the Landdrost Graf von Callenberg, who had been one of his predecessors.

Die Drostei in the year 1835

Die Drostei today

The present Drostei building was used as residence of the Landdrosts of the Danish Crown until 1864. Then it became the seat of the first and only Prussian Landdrost. From 1868 to 1893 the house served as the residential and administrative centre of the Prussian Landräte (chief executive officials) of Landkreis (district) Pinneberg, and after 1893 it was used only as the Landrat´s private residence.

Therefore the Drostei has been of special historic importance for the town of Pinneberg as well as for the Kreis Pinneberg. It was from here that the region had been administered for more than 550 years. It is also one of the most significant places with regard to the cultural history of the Kreis Pinneberg as the well preserved 225 year old Drostei can be looked upon as an important historic monument.
After 1932 – until 1984 – the buliding was used to house the Land Registry Office of the region.

By a deed of gift of 20th January 1984 the Land Schleswig-Holstein handed over the Drostei to the Kreis Pinneberg and thus made the Kreis the proprietor of the building including the land that belonged to the site.



Veranstaltungssaal im Obergeschoss

The contract contained a clause of application according to which the Kreis Pinneberg failed to comply with the agreement. The task of putting the assigned application of turning the Drostei into a cultural centre was transferred by the Kreis to the “Foundation Landdrostei Pinneberg”.

After completing the restoration of the building, the Foundation´s task now is to fill the house with a wide range of activities concerning art exhibitions, concerts – from classic to Jazz – and readings. The restaurant in the basement of the building has been let by the Kreis to a private caterer. The Foundation´s main concerns are to provide an innovative artistic program and to create an institution for the modern, cosmopolitain promotion of joung artists living in Pinneberg and the North of Germany.