Vilbel Castle

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Vilbel Castle
Access area of ​​the castle

Access area of ​​the castle

Creation time : 12./13. century
Castle type : Niederungsburg, location
Conservation status: ruin
Standing position : Nobles
Place: Bad Vilbel
Geographical location 50 ° 11 '6 "  N , 8 ° 44' 41.3"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 11 '6 "  N , 8 ° 44' 41.3"  E
Height: 109  m above sea level NN
Vilbel Castle (Hesse)
Vilbel Castle

The Burg Vilbel is the ruins of a moated castle in Bad Vilbel in Wetteraukreis north of Frankfurt am Main in Hesse .

history

The place Vilbel was first mentioned in 774. In the 12th to 13th centuries, today's castle was built as a moated castle on the Nidda . Possibly this was preceded by an older tower hill castle (motte).

In 1399 it was besieged and destroyed by Count Ulrich V. von Hanau and Philipp von Falkenstein because of previous robberies by the lord of the castle Bechtram V. von Vilbel ; Bechtram was executed. In 1420 the castle was renewed.

The castle fell to the Eppstein family in 1503 . The castle was the official seat of Mainz from 1590 to 1803 and was renovated and strengthened both in the 16th century and again in the 18th century. In 1796 the castle was destroyed by French troops under General Jean-Baptiste Kléber and has remained in ruins ever since.

Todays use

Entrance to the castle
The ruins of the hexagonal curtain wall of the moated castle from the reconstruction of the 15th century

From 1955 to 2017 the castle ruins housed a local history and fountain museum after the city of Bad Vilbel acquired the castle. The moat also dates from this time and is still filled with water today. The water in the trench caused considerable damage to the masonry, which has since been extensively renovated. It is believed that the castle had a moat in earlier times, but it was dry and was only flooded when necessary.

The Bad Vilbel Castle Festival has been held annually in the castle courtyard since 1987 .

The ruin of the moated castle is a Hessian cultural monument for historical reasons, as it represents a rare example of a moated castle in Hesse for the 15th century.

literature

  • Peter Fleck: On the history of the Vilbel “Wasserburg”. In: Bad Vilbeler Heimatblätter 46, 2000.
  • Rudolf Knappe: Medieval castles in Hessen. 800 castles, castle ruins and fortifications. 3. Edition. Wartberg, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-228-6 , p. 343f.
  • Rolf Müller (Ed.): Palaces, castles, old walls. Published by the Hessendienst der Staatskanzlei, Wiesbaden 1990, ISBN 3-89214-017-0 , p. 38f.

Web links

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