Beilstein Castle (Westerwald)

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Beilstein Castle
Beilstein Castle during the expansion in 2002

Beilstein Castle during the expansion in 2002

Creation time : around 1129
Castle type : Hilltop castle
Conservation status: Ruin, partially restored
Standing position : Men's
Place: Beilstein
Geographical location 50 ° 36 '29 "  N , 8 ° 14' 28"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 36 '29 "  N , 8 ° 14' 28"  E
Height: 355  m above sea level NHN
Beilstein Castle (Hesse)
Beilstein Castle

The castle Beilstein is the ruins of a hilltop castle in the community Greifenstein associated village Beilstein about 10 kilometers southwest of Herborn and 17 kilometers northwest of the city of Wetzlar in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse .

location

It is located in the eastern Westerwald in Hesse near the border with Rhineland-Palatinate . The castle ruins are only a few meters above the village of the same name, which is itself located at an altitude of about 355 meters above sea ​​level in the valley of the Ulmbach .

history

The Lords of Beilstein were first mentioned in a document in 1129, who had probably also started building the castle on the remains of an older but destroyed castle at that time. The first known representative of this family was Kraft von Beilstein. He was Vogt of the diocese of Worms in the Kalenbacher tithe. Around 1226 the Counts of Nassau came into possession of the complex. They managed to oust the Lords of Beilstein from the castle, as they had received the Kalenbacher tithe as a fiefdom of the Landgraves of Thuringia . The Lords of Beilstein moved their center of power to Liechtenstein Castle .

The Counts of Nassau expanded the castle further. In the first half of the 14th century, today's palace was built, which had a floor area of ​​around 23 by 9 meters and, with its three and a half stories, was a good 13 meters high. The two end sides were built like a shield wall and had a tourelle at each corner for reinforcement . The farm buildings were secured by a ditch to the south and the mountain side. In 1321 Johann von Nassau-Dillenburg received city ​​rights for the settlement at the castle.

By dividing the estate of the Nassau-Dillenburg family , the Nassau-Beilstein line was created in 1343 . During their reign, the castle was repeatedly expanded and rebuilt. The line resided in the castle until it was extinguished in 1561. Then the castle fell back on the Nassau-Dillenburg line, which it used as an official building. The last major expansion took place from 1614 to 1618 by Georg von Nassau-Beilstein . Konrad Rossbach directed this work . After Georg moved his seat of government to Dillenburg in 1620 , Beilstein Castle lost its residence function and was only used as an official building.

After the Thirty Years' War , the complex lost its importance and fell into disrepair. It was sold "for demolition" in 1812, with large parts of the hall being demolished in the period that followed. The first security measures did not take place until the 20th century.

Up until the beginning of the 21st century, the appearance of the castle was shaped by the still towering southeast side of the palace building with its two tourelles. It was possible to climb the ruins, which temporarily housed a restaurant. While some farm buildings were still inhabited or housed the restaurant, the other buildings in the outer bailey and the northwestern part of the palace were in ruins.

Todays use

In the meantime, a futuristic-looking new building has been erected in the ruins of the Palas while preserving the remaining parts of the building, the facade of which consists mainly of steel and glass. Even if the dimensions of the new building are based on the historical predecessor, the castle is hardly recognizable. In the complex there is now a dormitory for disabled people, so that only a tour of the outdoor facilities is possible.

investment

The optically outstanding component of the castle is a kemenaten . On its south side there is still a 19.5 meter high and three to four meter thick shield wall .

literature

  • Georg Ulrich Großmann : Central and South Hesse: Lahntal, Taunus, Rheingau, Wetterau, Frankfurt and Maintal, Kinzig, Vogelsberg, Rhön, Bergstrasse and Odenwald. DuMont, Cologne 1995, ISBN 3-7701-2957-1 (= DuMont art travel guide ), p. 48.
  • Rudolf Knappe: Medieval castles in Hessen. 800 castles, castle ruins and fortifications. 3. Edition. Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-228-6 , p. 416f.
  • Jens Friedhoff : The furnishing of Nassau castles and palaces as reflected in early modern inventories . In: Nassau Annals . tape 113 . Verlag des Verein für Nassauische Archeology and Historical Research , 2002, ISSN  0077-2887 , p. 107-112 .

Web links

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