Fürstenwalde Bishop's Palace
| Fürstenwalde Bishop's Palace | ||
|---|---|---|
 Bishop's Palace and Cathedral around 1880 |
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| Alternative name (s): | Fürstenwalde bishop's castle | |
| Creation time : | First mentioned in 1365 | |
| Conservation status: | partially preserved | |
| Standing position : | Episcopal Castle | |
| Place: | Fürstenwalde | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 21 '27.5 " N , 14 ° 4' 1.4" E | |
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The bishop's castle Fürstenwalde , also called the bishop's castle, is located in the center of the city of Fürstenwalde / Spree opposite the cathedral . After years of decay, it has been renovated since January 2011 and has been completed since March 2013. One part is used as a restaurant and is therefore open to the public.
history
After its foundation in the 13th century, Fürstenwalde quickly developed into one of the wealthiest cities in the Mark Brandenburg . The governor Friedrich von Lochem had a castle built in 1353 as part of the city fortifications. At that time the bishopric was still Lebus . After the destruction of the Lubusz Cathedral , the cathedral chapter decided in Frankfurt in 1373 to move the bishopric to Fürstenwalde. The resolution describes the new seat as "the graceful and populous city of Fürstenwalde, strong and well-provided with walls, towers, fortifications and moats". Twelve years later the Pope gave its approval. From 1389 Fürstenwalde was the seat of a bishopric and the castle was part of the episcopal residence.
The first Fürstenwalder bishop, Johann V (von Borschwitz), appointed by the Pope in 1397, expanded the castle. He became known because he campaigned vehemently for the condemnation of the pre-reformer Jan Hus . The Taborites , a radical wing of the Hussites , attacked Fürstenwalde on their campaigns and destroyed and plundered the cathedral . In 1446, the reconstruction of St. Mary's Cathedral with its 68 meter high tower began.
During the Reformation there were disputes between the bishop and the Protestants that lasted for several years. Georg von Blumenthal , appointed Bishop of Lebus in 1524, fought particularly against the Reformation. In 1528 he narrowly escaped an attack by aristocrats from the Brandenburg region on the episcopal castle. The attackers looted the castle, cathedral and town. Martin Luther disapproved of this attack. The nobility increasingly tended to the evangelical faith or at least tolerated it. Protestants were also allowed to preach in Fürstenwalde, initially in the Heiligengeistkirche , and since 1567 also in the cathedral. The bishop and the canons increasingly lost their influence and in 1598 renounced their goods in favor of an annuity .
Princely officials then administered the goods of the diocese, with the bishop's palace being the seat of such a domain office . It burned down in 1576 and was only poorly preserved in the future.
The main part of the actual castle disappeared around 1850. A factory building was built in its place, which initially served as a brewery and later as an oil and edible fat factory. After the First World War , the building was initially a department store; between 1947 and 1990 it housed storage and administration rooms for the GDR state wholesalers. After the fall of the Wall, the sculptor and ceramist Friedrich Stachat took on the factory building and, together with the cultural association and the city, developed today's cultural center.
After the actual castle was demolished, the castle-like part remained. It was located directly on the moat as part of the old city fortifications. The small windows in the direction of the moat, still visible on a photograph at the end of the 19th century, document the character of the fortress. Further references to the function of the building are parts of the old city wall on the property as well as the soft house, which was exposed again. A soft house (or Wiekhaus ) is a medieval fortification. The old moat only disappeared when it was filled in in the 1960s. Another sign of the former abandonment of the building is the tower base, which can still be recognized through a circular room in the basement.
The building initially belonged to the factory, then in 1891 it was converted into a residential building. Another renovation, which then resulted in the second floor - the tower - and probably the stepped gable, took place in 1905.
The building was now called the "Pharmacist's House", which suggests that it was first used. During the expansion, extensions were created on the west and south sides as well as large windows. The north tower must have long been torn down and replaced by an extension of the living rooms on the ground floor.
After 1995 the city tried to build the increasingly dilapidated building and had the roof renewed. However, there was no possibility of use. For a long time, the city checked whether the museum or a gallery should move in. The city then decided on the building of the former cathedral school as the seat for the museum. There was no money for an additional gallery. So the bishop's palace was finally sold to a private individual. His renovation plans turned out to be unfeasible, so he sold the building again in mid-2009.
Rehabilitation of the castle
Under new owners, the building was renovated in 2011/2012 and restored to its 1900 appearance. Four apartments, a photo studio and a restaurant with regional cuisine were created. The historic vaulted cellar and the base of the former tower, with walls up to three meters thick, have been authentically preserved and are used for events and weddings by the Fürstenwalder registry office.
literature
- Florian Wilke: Bishop's residence in Fürstenwalde / Spree . Fürstenwalde city administration (ed.). Publishing house and printing company progress Erfurt, 1993. ISBN 3-86155-033-4 .
Web links
- Website of the bishop's palace in Fürstenwalde
- Fürstenwalde culture factory
- Fürstenwalde Museum
- City of Fürstenwalde
Individual evidence
- ^ ODF TV ( Memento from February 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 21, 2011
