Schauenforst castle ruins
| Lookforest | ||
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 Gate and tower of the Schauenforst castle ruins |
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| Creation time : | 13th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Rödelwitz | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 47 '7 " N , 11 ° 26' 34.4" E | |
| Height: | 390 m above sea level NN | |
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The Schauenforst castle ruins are the ruins of a medieval hilltop castle near Rödelwitz , a district of the Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel community , in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in East Thuringia .
Castle complex
A special feature of the multi-part castle complex is its elongated shape: the back of the castle hill on which it stands is around 150 meters long, but only 5 to 35 meters wide. The summit can only be reached from the north without major problems. This access was secured by two walled defenses on hills and by trenches , some of which are still visible. The advantages and the main castle were a Rinngraben secured, which was particularly deep and wide to the east.
The outer bailey in the northwest was partially secured by double walls and separated from the main castle by a kennel with a drawbridge . The outer bailey probably served primarily as a farmyard.
The main castle was dominated by a large round tower, right next to the Zwinger , which is still relatively well preserved and can be seen from afar. On the southeast side of the castle, the basement was Palas , along with an adjacent building and the tower - the best preserved part of the castle. Only a few sections of the strong circular walls between the buildings are left. The cistern in the courtyard of the main castle has collapsed. In addition, there was probably a pipeline for spring water for peacetime.
history
The theory that the Schauenforst castle was built in 1222 or 1223 by Landgrave Ludwig IV of Thuringia during a feud with Count Hermann II of Orlamünde is controversial . However, archaeological finds suggest that the castle was built in the 13th century at the earliest. In 1908 it was agreed that the castle already existed in 1223. It was the property of Count Hermann and served as a strategic center between Orlamünde and Rudolstadt. Possibly it was built as a more homely and militarily more favorably located successor to an older fortification on the nearby Eichberg. The first written mention of the Lords of Schauenforst from the Meldingen dynasty as feudal people of the Counts of Orlamünde date back to 1281. However, even then it was probably only a question of former residents of the castle, as Heinrich V of Orlamünde had already lived there in 1338. In the course of the Thuringian Count's War , Heinrich lost his position as prince and became a vassal of Landgrave Friedrich II. However , he kept Schauenforst Castle as the only fortification in his possession, where he lived until his death in 1357. It is unclear whether the castle was destroyed during the Count's War.
The castle had several owners until the middle of the 15th century. It may have been destroyed in the Saxon Fratricidal War. The remnants of the Schauenforst rulership shrank during this time until the Reuss family from Plauen acquired the castle and Rödelwitz at the end of the 15th century . At the end of the 16th century, the castle, which was already in poor condition, was first assigned to the Oberkranichfeld rulership and then pledged again. The condition continued to deteriorate, so that the complex became uninhabitable. Ownership changed again several times. The new owners were no longer interested in the castle, but only in the properties belonging to it, especially the surrounding vineyards. In 1663 the castle changed from Schwarzburg to Saxon-Gotha ownership, where it stayed for a long time. As part of the division of the country, the Schauenforst and its ruins fell to the Duchy of Saxony-Meiningen in 1826 . In the 18th and 19th centuries, the complex was damaged by treasure graves. In 1835, State Chamber Councilor Friedrich Gustav Vogt from Blankenhain acquired the castle and commissioned the first maintenance work. In February 1881, Duke Ernst I of Saxony-Altenburg bought the entire area for the ducal Domanialfideikommiss. In 1913 major repairs were made to the curtain wall and tower.
literature
- Thomas Bienert: "Dorndorf, OT Rödelwitz - Castle ruins Schauenforst" - Medieval castles in Thuringia . Wartberg Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-631-1 , p. 122 .
- Michael Köhler : "Schauenforst" - Thuringian castles and fortified prehistoric and early historical living spaces . Jenzig-Verlag , Jena 2001, ISBN 3-910141-43-9 , p. 221-222 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ H. Bergner: Ring walls and castle ruins in the district of Kahla . Thüringer Chronik-Verlag H. E. Müllerott, Kahla 1908, Arnstadt 2012, without ISBN, p. 31
- ↑ Schauenforst. In: Hans Patze , Peter Aufgebauer (Hrsg.): Handbook of the historical sites of Germany . Volume 9: Thuringia (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 313). 2nd, improved and supplemented edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-520-31302-2 , pp. 379-380.