The Schwarzenau manor house has an eventful history. As it can be seen today, it was built in 1788. In the centuries that followed, it served the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein family as a widow's residence, summer residence and hunting lodge. The stately building directly on the River Eder was also a temporary residence and seat of government for the count's family, especially during the period of radical pietism.
The complex also includes the long half-timbered farm buildings along the road, which date back to the early 18th century. Between them is a lawn with trees that are around 100 years old. A high flood wall was built parallel to the Eder.
The estate is now privately owned by Bernhart Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein. His family can look back on an ancient history. The widely ramified princely house can be traced back to the 12th century. The ancestral seat, Wittgenstein Castle, is located near Bad Laasphe, above the Lahn Valley.