Schloss

Schlösser), formerly written Schloß, is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.

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.

However, the term Schloss is still used for many castles, especially those that were adapted as residences after they lost their defensive significance.

Although they appeared much earlier than the period defined by this term, medieval Carolingian Kaiserpfalzen structures are sometimes considered as being Schlösser in nature.