Wernfels Castle

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Wernfels Castle
Wernfels Castle as seen from Theilenberg

Wernfels Castle as seen from Theilenberg
Creation time : 1230 to 1260
Castle type : Höhenburg, spur location
Conservation status: Received or received substantial parts
Standing position : Count
Place: Spalt - Wernfels
Geographical location 49 ° 11 '53.2 "  N , 10 ° 52' 43.7"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 11 '53.2 "  N , 10 ° 52' 43.7"  E
Height: 450  m above sea level NN
Wernfels Castle (Bavaria)
Wernfels Castle

The castle Wernfels is a hilltop castle above the splitter district Wernfels in the Middle Franconian district of Roth .

Geographical location

It stands in a secluded location in the densely wooded Rangau high above the Rezat Valley within sight of Abenberg Castle .

history

The castle has its oldest part in the large residential building, which can be dated to the second half of the 13th century based on the early Gothic construction and a wooden stand in the cellar that was dendrodated after 1260 (probably around 1270/80). This corresponds very well to the first - indirect - mention of the castle in 1283, when Albert II. " Dictus Rindesmul de Werdenfels " is mentioned in a document. The castle belonged to the Reichsministerialen Rindsmaul, who probably also built the building. The close connection between Wernfels and the burgraves of Nuremberg , claimed in older literature, cannot be proven, even if they had an influence in the region with their nearby Abenberg Castle. In 1284 "Albertus dictus Rindesmul senior de Werdenvels imperialis aule ministerialis" sold Wernfels Castle to the Eichstätt Prince-Bishop Reinboto von Meilenhart . The prince-bishops built what is now the official castle in the 14th-15th centuries. Century, in particular they surrounded the older core building with a curtain wall and gate tower. In 1600, Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen had the interior of the main building rebuilt; the wooden ceilings and window frames mostly date from this time. There are two inscriptions of this reconstruction, but there is no evidence in the sources of the assumption that the castle was previously destroyed by lightning. Rather, it should have been a thorough renovation. Further small extensions followed in the 18th century. In 1803 the Eichstätt bishopric was secularized and the castle, when it was already in danger of deterioration, was sold to private individuals. In 1882 Louis Braun , “a royal professor and battle painter from Munich”, bought the castle and saved it from deterioration.

Todays use

The youth castle has belonged to the YMCA Bavarian Association since 1925 . It is the best-occupied youth hostel in the German Youth Hostel Association and offers 220 beds. Castle concerts, castle festivals and YMCA services take place there regularly. The ambience has been expanded and renovated again and again in recent years. Since 2001 there is a large ballroom, which enables events and celebrations. In 2004 an elevator was installed that enables barrier-free access.

literature

  • Daniel Burger : Wernfels Castle - A compact building from the late 13th century. In: Marburger Correspondenzblatt zur Burgenforschung , Heft 5, 2005/2006, pp. 5–26 (with further literature).
  • Karlheinz Eber: 50 years of the Wernfels youth castle . YMCA Bavarian Association, Nuremberg 1975.
  • Ernst von Kietzell: Werdenfels, Tilenburg. Castle and local history of Wernfels-Theilenberg . Heimatverein Spalter Land e. V., Spalt 1973 ( From the Spalter Heimat . Volume 12), [speculative and obsolete with regard to the architectural history interpretations, still usable for the historical part]
  • Anton Pfahler: Wernfels-Theilenberg, its castle and its church . Müller, Roth near Nuremberg 1948.

Web links

Commons : Burg Wernfels  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Irini Paul: Wernfels Castle - Inexpensive vacation at the fortress. Germany's most popular youth hostel. In: http://www.nordbayern.de . Nürnberger Zeitung (Nordbayerische Verlagsgesellschaft mbH), May 15, 2009, accessed on August 11, 2014 .