Rabenstein Castle (Upper Franconia)

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Rabenstein Castle
Aerial view of Rabenstein Castle (autumn 2010)

Aerial view of Rabenstein Castle (autumn 2010)

Creation time : around 1175 to 1200
Castle type : Höhenburg, spur location
Conservation status: Received or received substantial parts
Standing position : Ministeriale
Place: Maple Valley
Geographical location 49 ° 49 '19.8 "  N , 11 ° 22' 14.6"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 49 '19.8 "  N , 11 ° 22' 14.6"  E
Height: 420  m above sea level NN
Rabenstein Castle (Bavaria)
Rabenstein Castle

Rabenstein Castle is a former high medieval aristocratic castle in the municipality of Ahorntal in the Upper Franconian district of Bayreuth in Bavaria .

The spur castle can be visited for an entrance fee.

Geographical location

The Höhenburg is located in the Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park on a rocky mountain spur at about 420 meters above the valley of the Ailsbach in Franconian Switzerland , 6.5 kilometers northwest of Pottenstein . Within walking distance of the castle is the Sophienhöhle, an attractive stalactite cave for tourists .

In the vicinity of Rabenstein Castle there were a few more castles, on the opposite side of the valley is the presumed Brunnloch or Rabenloch castle stables, a little further up the Ailsbach valley was the former Ahorn Castle , today's wasteland of Klausstein, opposite is the presumed castle stables Hohenloch above the Ludwigshöhle, down the Ailsbachtal lies the Alte Veste castle stables and also in the village of Oberailsfeld there was a small castle, the Ailsfeld castle on a rock in the valley. To the west, above the Wiesent valley , is Rabeneck Castle , probably also a foundation of the Rabensteiners.

History of Rabenstein Castle

Coat of arms of the von Rabenstein family according to Siebmacher's coat of arms book
Rabenstein Castle, west side (December 2013)

The oldest parts of the castle were built in the first quarter of the 12th century in the Waischenfeld rule . At the same time, the ministerial family Rabenstein , who are considered to be the builders of the castle and have the raven in their coat of arms , are documented in the service of the nobles von Waischenfeld . At the beginning of the 13th century the outer bailey was expanded. Over the next centuries, the castle's owners and residents changed, including the von Schlüsselberg family and the burgraves of Nuremberg . In 1450 the castle was destroyed in the First Margrave War and rebuilt by Konz von Wirsberg from 1489 onwards.

In 1557 the castle went to the "von Rabenstein", who were aspiring to the aristocratic family, and thus bought back their ancestral seat. Daniel von Rabenstein rebuilt the castle again in 1570, whereby the former outer bailey was merged with the main castle.

During the Thirty Years' War the castle was again completely destroyed by imperial troops, as the lord of the castle, Hans Christoph von Rabenstein, was on the side of the Swedes. After the war, between 1648 and 1728, only smaller buildings were restored next to the farm yard.

In 1742 the von Rabenstein family died out and the castle went to the Counts of Schönborn-Wiesentheid , who redesigned the castle ruins in 1829/30 for a visit from Ludwig I.

Todays use

Rabenstein Castle, east side (1994)
View of Rabenstein Castle from the south (December 2013)

In the recent past, the castle was expanded as a hotel for events and conferences. The castle has been in the hands of Burg Rabenstein Event GmbH since 2004 . Next to the castle there is a falconry , which is also active in the research and teaching area, with over 80 species of birds of prey and a tavern with a beer garden.

Others

The castle is one of the main locations for the interactive PC game Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within . From April to May 2013, the film Die Tuesdaysfrauen - Seven Days Without, with Ulrike Kriener , Saskia Vester , Nina Hoger , Jule Ronstedt and Mimi Fiedler was made at Rabenstein Castle and the surrounding area . Minh-Khai Phan-Thi , Reiner Schöne , Dieter Hallervorden , Kathrin Ackermann and others played in the other roles . a.

Historical illustrations

  • Rabenstein Castle, steel engraving (1810) by Johann Nussbiegel

  • Rabenstein Castle, etching (1829) by Felix Grünewald

  • Rabenstein Castle, steel engraving (1834) by Conrad Wießner

  • Rabenstein Castle, lithograph (around 1840) by Theodor Rothbarth after a drawing by Carl Käppel

literature

Web links

Commons : Burg Rabenstein (Upper Franconia)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The presumed Burgstall on the side of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
  2. ^ The Burgstall Ahorn on the website of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
  3. ^ The section fortification on the side of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
  4. ↑ see list of Frankish knight families # R
  5. ↑ see list of Frankish knight families # W
  6. ^ Press release by ARD-Degeto on the shooting of "Tuesday Women" , accessed on March 21, 2016.