Wolfstein castle ruins

Wolfstein castle ruins
	Wolfstein castle ruins seen from the outer bailey
Creation time :	around 1150
Castle type :	Höhenburg, spur location
Conservation status:	numerous walls in the main castle, keep, small parts of the outer castle
Standing position :	Nobles, Reichsministeriale
Place:	Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate -Wolfstein
Geographical location	49 ° 17 '38.8 " N , 11 ° 29' 30.6" E Coordinates: 49 ° 17 '38.8 " N , 11 ° 29' 30.6" E
Height:	588.8 m above sea level NN

Aerial view

Wolfstein castle ruins (2017)

The castle ruins Wolfstein is a former noble castle from the 12th century in the urban area of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz in the district of the same name in the Upper Palatinate , Bavaria .

geography

Geographical location

The castle ruins of the Höhenburg are located in the central part of the Franconian Alb on the highest point of the Wolfsteinberg ( 588.8 m above sea level ), which rises northeast of the Neumarkt valley basin. Southwest and north of the castle are the local situation Schafhof and the district Laber dir.

geology

The ruin is in the south-west of Germany . The characteristic Jura landscape of the Wolfsteinberg is characterized by layers of the white (Malm), brown (Dogger) and black Jura (Lias). From the perspective of Neumarkt in the valley, these geological formations form the typical layered landscape of the Upper Palatinate Jura . The top of the mountain consists of massive to thick-banked dolomite stone and fossil-bearing limestone from the Franconian Alb formation. The White Jurassic layers lie on Great Dane layers of the iron sandstone formation . The fine to medium-grain sandstone of the Brown Jura contains iron and occasionally leads to iron ore seams. The next layer is formed from gray, bioturbate marlstones from the Jurensis marl formation from the Black Jurassic group. A small peculiarity is the occurrence of the colorless mineral aragonite in the moat of the former manor house.

historical overview

The exact origins of Wolfstein Castle as the seat of power of the noble family of the same name cannot be clarified with any certainty. Ullrich von Wolfstein is said to have been lord of the castle around 1120 , but there is no evidence. The archaeological excavations in recent years suggest that it was built in the middle of the 12th century.

The castle is historically documented from 1283. Gottfried von Sulzbürg took the name Wolfstein and founded the noble family. By the middle of the 14th century, the Wolfsteiners' influence and possessions grew considerably; they ruled large parts of the Neumarkt area. In addition to the imperial immediacy of their rule, Sulzbürg-Pyrbaum, King Charles IV granted them the right to create a town below the castle that would have the same privileges as the neighboring Neumarkt, a plan that was never carried out.

In 1434 the castle was legally equated with the city of Neumarkt by Emperor Sigismund , which led to considerable differences with the Wittelsbach Count Palatine who ruled there, who repeatedly tried to incorporate the castle into the Neumarkt possessions.

However, they only succeeded in doing this under Otto II von Neumarkt . In advance, Otto I. increased the pressure on the Wolfsteiners so much that they accepted the Bohemian king as patron and pledged the castle to him. However, in 1462 Hans von Wolfstein (the "great Hans") died childless, so that the Bohemian king moved in the castle and lent the fief to Vizthum von Neuschönenberg. Otto II bought the castle and its possessions from him and incorporated it into the princely sphere of influence.

The castle became the Neumarkt maintenance office, until the 16th century it was administered by a governor, but it lost its importance. In the Landshut War of Succession in 1504, it suffered severe damage, which was followed by extensive repairs.

In 1670 it was reported that the castle had "basically died". It was abandoned, a planned renovation was no longer carried out, and the facility fell into disrepair.

The castle today

Today the Wolfstein castle ruins are in good condition. Since the mid-1990s, the Wolfsteinfreunde Association has been carrying out extensive excavations and renovations in the area of the main castle. Among other things, the ground floor was exposed; In addition to a fountain and various vaults, this also brought the former Marienkapelle back to the daylight.

The dense tree vegetation of the ruins was removed so that the walls receive more light and damage from moisture is avoided.

Farmers settled in the so-called Vorburg around 150 years ago, and there are still two houses there today. The remains of the wall there were left to their own devices.

and display information about the image

360-degree panoramic view of the courtyard, March 2013

Transmitter Neumarkt / Wolfstein

On the keep is a small transmitter that broadcasts the Charivari radio program (93.3 MHz), as well as a webcam that provides a panoramic view of the Neumarkt basin.

sightseeing

The castle is accessible all year round, but restrictions may apply due to excavation and renovation work.

In the summer months, the Wolfstein friends offer guided tours on Sundays, then you can also enter the 22 m high keep, from whose viewing platform you can enjoy a panoramic view of Neumarkt and the surrounding area.

Web links

Commons : Burgruine Wolfstein - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Information about Wolfstein Castle on deutsche-burgen.org ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2
^ Geological map of Bavaria 1: 500,000. Bavarian State Office for the Environment, accessed on January 5, 2019 .
↑ Digital geological map of Bavaria 1: 25,000 (dGK25). Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU), accessed on February 17, 2019 .
↑ Journey into the history of the earth There is much more to the ruins of Wolfstein than just medieval items. An exhibition shows the geological treasures that were hidden in the moat. Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG, November 7, 2012, accessed on February 17, 2019 .
↑ The Wolfstein opens a window into the history of the earth. Neumarkter Nachrichten, November 8, 2011, accessed on February 17, 2019 .
↑ see also list of Frankish knight families
↑ Information about the Wolfstein station and its frequency on ukwtv.de , accessed on April 12, 2011.

[DE-Burgen.org-1] Information about Wolfstein Castle on deutsche-burgen.org ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2

[2] Geological map of Bavaria 1: 500,000. Bavarian State Office for the Environment, accessed on January 5, 2019 .

[:0-3] Digital geological map of Bavaria 1: 25,000 (dGK25). Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU), accessed on February 17, 2019 .

[4] Journey into the history of the earth There is much more to the ruins of Wolfstein than just medieval items. An exhibition shows the geological treasures that were hidden in the moat. Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG, November 7, 2012, accessed on February 17, 2019 .

[5] The Wolfstein opens a window into the history of the earth. Neumarkter Nachrichten, November 8, 2011, accessed on February 17, 2019 .

[6] see also list of Frankish knight families

[7] Information about the Wolfstein station and its frequency on ukwtv.de , accessed on April 12, 2011.