Greifenstein Castle (Bad Blankenburg)
| Greifenstein Castle | ||
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 Greifenstein castle ruins |
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| Alternative name (s): | Blankenburg | |
| Creation time : | First mentioned in 1137 | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Standing position : | Count | |
| Place: | Bad Blankenburg | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 41 '24 " N , 11 ° 15' 46" E | |
| Height: | 390 m above sea level NN | |
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The Greifenstein Castle is a medieval castle ruins in Bad Blankenburg in Saalfeld-Rudolstadt in Thuringia . With its dimensions of around 25,000 square meters, it is one of the largest German castle ruins.
location
The ruin of the Höhenburg rises at 390 meters on the Greifenstein, Bad Blankenburg's local mountain in southern Thuringia. The castle area is located in the Greifenstein nature reserve .
history
In 1840, Hesse described the possible image of the fortress quite vividly on the ruins and remains of walls found. He also turned his gaze into the landscape and into the distance. He tried to reconstruct the time the castle was built and dealt with the name of the castle, favoring "Greifenstein".
King Heinrich I ordered the Margrave Günther around 925-932 to build the fortress Blankenburg to secure the area against the raids of the Huns and Hungarians, in order to protect the villages in the surrounding area that had already been formed before this time. Blankenburg belonged to Orlagau in the Middle Ages, which is evident from a document from 1071. The other places of the Orlagau are also mentioned in it. The castle near Blankenburg was only in a doubted letter of donation to Count Sizzo III. mentioned in writing in 1137. Konrad von Wazdorf, who was a knight and Voigt on the Greifenstein, is named here. The name "Greifenstein" will later be lost and will be replaced by "Blankenburg". This castle was then given to Sizzo, Count von Schwarzburg . Several owners are then named. It is mentioned that a Heinrich owned the castle from 1267–1285, to whom Saalfeld and Ranis still belonged. Blankenburg Castle was the seat of the Schwarzburg tribe for a long time. Several documents from the 13th century prove this. Günther XXI. was the last Count of Schwarzburg who was born at the castle in 1304. On January 30, 1349, he was elected by the supporters of the deceased Emperor Ludwig IV as the rival king in competition with Charles IV , but after a defeat he waived his claims and died unexpectedly on June 14, 1349. This reputation was not used accordingly for the castle. Later there was a dispute about the inheritance and in Erfurt it was divided into the known areas. The guardianship of the son Heinrich XVII was also clarified, with whose death in 1357 the male line of Günther died out. The widow, mother of the deceased son, could not cover the financial obligations and now concentrated on the Rudolstadt location . Until the end of the reign of Heinrich XXXVII. the buildings of the Blankenburg were still preserved, but already in 1525 Günther the XX. and his countess did not take any precautions to preserve the castle, especially since the count died on July 12, 1538. The transfer of the office to Rudolstadt around 1560 was probably the beginning of the end of the castle.
Previous buildings
Individual finds indicate that the Greifenstein was already settled in the Neolithic . However, there are no remains from the period between this era and the Middle Ages.
First sources
Greifenstein Castle is mentioned for the first time in a document dated 1137, but this document is most likely a later forgery, as the name "Greifenstein" was only used in the middle of the 17th century. The earlier name for castle and mountain was "Blankenburg".
The oldest credible document is not dated and was probably created between 1196 and 1210. Further written sources show that the castle belonged to the Grafschaft Schwarzburg from 1208 at the latest , but an earlier takeover by them is likely.
Building history
The origins of the castle are unknown. Components and archaeological finds indicate, however, that the complex already existed in the 12th century, originally probably only as a collection of adobe houses with ditches, ramparts and palisade in the northwest of the hilltop. It is possible that the facility was built in connection with a Sorbian advance . However, this is by no means certain.
In the 12th or 13th century, a wall system with a pentagonal basic shape was built, which extended the old fortification area to the east. The old core of the castle probably remained as a pre-settlement and, in addition to a deep moat, shielded the castle from the path from the west. A similar settlement emerged in the east. Overall, the newer castle complex had a surrounding wall with a moat .
Already in the 13th century the Blankenburg lost its importance compared to the Schwarzburg , which became the main residence of the counts. A document from 1346 mentions two separate counts' residences on the Blankenburg. This indicates that the system has already been expanded at this point in time. Presumably these were the buildings in the southeast of the rock, a round tower, a chapel as well as residential and farm buildings. The defenses of this part of the castle consisted of a kennel , a moat and six round bastions . Two castle wells were built in the moat and a cistern under the castle courtyard to provide water . The older part of the castle also seems to have been modernized in this phase: a more convenient access from the south with double gates and portcullis was created.
Nevertheless, from the 14th century onwards, the princes mostly resided in the more comfortable city apartments. The Blankenburg became the seat of a bailiff and the permanent seat of a section of soldiers. Heinrich XXVI. von Schwarzburg was probably the last count who lived at least temporarily on the Blankenburg at the end of the 15th century.
A written source from 1547 reports three fires at the castle and the increasing deterioration of the complex. Only during the grape harvest is it inhabited by a bailiff from Rudolstadt . In 1612 the wine press in the castle was repaired. In 1642 it was forbidden to cut stones from the ruins. However, in 1664 the fortifications were repaired so that the castle could be used in the event of a Turkish attack.
In the 18th century, the castle seems to have been haunted by treasure graves, and the main tower was probably destroyed: in 1785 it broke apart and collapsed completely in November 1800.
In 1821 the first small restoration attempts were made. In 1860 a castle restaurant was created. 1900 the castle community, in cooperation with the established representative-Convent of academic Turnerschaften 1925-1928 Palas was built and tower again. In 1962 volunteers came together to work on the restoration of the castle in the following years.
falconry
One attraction at Burg Greifenstein is a falconry that has been run by Sandra Jung and Benedikt Nyssen since 2018. A regular flight program with birds of prey is shown during the season . The falconry is one of three large falconry organizations in Thuringia . The flight show includes a white-faced owl and a Siberian eagle owl , as well as various eagles , falcons and buzzards . The falconry owns a jackal buzzard along with two other bird parks . It is the only falconry in Germany that shows a jackal buzzard in free flight. The falconry can be contacted in case of wild bird emergencies.
literature
- Thomas Bienert: Medieval castles in Thuringia. 430 castles, castle ruins and fortifications . Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-631-1 , p. 227-229: Greifenstein .
- Michael Köhler : Thuringian castles and fortified prehistoric and early historical living spaces . Jenzig-Verlag Köhler, Jena 2001, ISBN 3-910141-43-9 , p. 114: Greifenstein .
Web links
- http://www.greifenstein-freunde.de/
- http://www.burg-greifenstein.de/
- http://www.falknerei-burg-greifenstein.de/
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ludwig Friedrich Hesse , quoted by HE Müllerott: History of Blankenburg Castle . Thüringer Chronik-Verlag, Arnstadt 1840/1996, ISBN 3-910132-44-8 , pp. 172-185.
- ^ Falconry Burg Greifenstein - Bad Blankenburg. Retrieved February 8, 2019 .
- ↑ www.Zootierliste.de. Retrieved February 8, 2019 .