Teutonic Order Castle Neckarsulm

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Teutonic Order Castle (seen from the south) from the right: Bandhaus, Amtshaus and keep

The Teutonic Order Castle Neckarsulm is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Neckarsulm . A previous building probably already existed in the 13th century. The Teutonic Order - Neckarsulm Castle was significantly shaped by the Teutonic Order , under whose rule Neckarsulm was from 1484 to 1805. In World War II it was heavily damaged and rebuilt until the mid-1950s. The German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum has been located in the Teutonic Order Castle Neckarsulm since 1956 .

history

Floor plan of the Teutonic Order Castle Neckarsulm, Peter Elias Berthold, 1722

The Teutonic Order Castle Neckarsulm is located in the southwest corner of the former city fortifications. The origins of the city palace probably go back to the 13th century. Little is known about this time. Even then there was a previous building of which today, after several renovations, the hall building ( Palas , also called stone house), the keep and parts of the wall wall have been preserved. The ground floor of the keep is considered by historians to be the oldest preserved masonry in all of Neckarsulm.

In the documents, there is evidence that even during the suzerainty of at the nearby Neckarsulm Scheuerberg seated lords of the vineyard existing in the 13th century stately plant by the Archbishopric of Mainz was expanded after it had acquired the place 1335th In 1405 Zwinger, Graben, Hofstatt and new house are mentioned, in 1411 Hofstatt and new house of the archbishopric are mentioned again. Structural findings indicate that the keep was raised around 1400 and that the “new house” is probably the stone house with a stepped gable that is still preserved today. In addition, a visitation report from 1720 reports that the Kurmainzian coat of arms on a column of the complex is no longer in existence. The city palace with its walls always strengthened the city fortifications. The oldest building stock is located in a rectangle about 25 × 35 meters. The walls of younger buildings partly rest on the massive walls of the first castle complex.

Coat of arms of Wolfgang Schutzbar called Milchling am Bergfried, 1551
Teutonic Order Castle (from left: Steinhaus-Saalbau, keep and castle chapel), Gustav Schmoller, watercolor, 1856

The complex came to the Teutonic Order in 1484 when the latter took over Neckarsulm. Immediately after the transfer of ownership, a castle chapel was built in the complex, the construction of which is dated 1487 and from which glass panes from around 1480 to 1488 have been preserved in the Württemberg State Museum, which have the coats of arms of the Palatine court marshal Engelhard von Neipperg († 1495), des Baden Landhofmeister Wilhelm von Neipperg († 1520) and the German master Reinhard von Neipperg († 1496) as well as the depiction of the Last Judgment .

After the destruction of the castle on the Scheuerberg in the Peasants' War in 1525, which was the official seat of the Teutonic Order, the Neckarsulm town castle became the official seat of the Teutonic Order. In the future, religious assemblies were held there, in which German masters were elected or other important decisions were made. The Teutonic Order significantly rebuilt and expanded the castle complex. The so-called band house was built in 1539/1540. The original city palace, i.e. the office building, only got its present form after the Peasants' War in 1525. The Kelter palace was also built after 1525. The keep was rebuilt several times, as evidenced by the coat of arms - relief of the high and German master Wolfgang Schutzbar called Milchling from 1551.

From a plan from 1722 it can be seen that up to that time, in addition to the old facility to the north, a large associated farmyard had been built. In addition, the tower was crowned with a baroque onion roof in 1720 , which lasted until the Second World War. The buildings have been rebuilt many times. One of the biggest structural changes occurred in the course of the 19th century, when in 1834 some buildings facing east towards the city were no longer available and in their place the new Schloßstraße (today's Urbanstraße), first mentioned in 1869, was built.

During the Second World War, the buildings survived the heavy attack on the city on March 1, 1945. However, on April 2, 1945, the roofs were destroyed in another attack and most of the buildings burned down. In 1949 the damaged buildings were restored to an almost old form. The castle chapel, which once had a ridge turret, and the keep with the formerly baroque onion helmet received simpler roofs than before the destruction.

building

Former Castle chapel, the keep on the left
Amtshaus (left) and Bandhaus (right)

The city palace complex today consists of the following buildings:

  • the keep forms the southwest corner of the city fortifications and is placed across the corner,
  • east of it is the so-called office building, the already mentioned hall building (Palas, or stone house),
  • next to it is the band house (on Urbanstrasse), which was originally a warehouse,
  • to the south of these buildings were a gatehouse and an outer structure, remains of which have been preserved.
  • an outbuilding follows the western city wall north of the keep,
  • The former castle chapel is directly connected to the adjacent building,
  • further north follows the former castle press with a spacious cellar,
  • to the north of the castle press there is a smaller building: the stable (later referred to as the coach house or wooden bed),
  • the former tithe barn is located on the northern border of the castle area in an east-west direction ,
  • Adjacent to the Zehntscheuer is another building, which used to be a horse stable (or riding house, on today's Urbanstrasse).

The wash house, the castle barn, stables and a gatehouse have not been preserved along Urbanstraße (the former castle street). These buildings were demolished between 1843 and 1870.

In addition, there was a guest house (which rested on pillars) between the office building and the keep, and between the side building and the band house there was a kennel building (including an office and bakery), which closed off the inner courtyard in the southern area of ​​the castle to the north. These two buildings no longer exist today and were probably demolished around 1850.

  • View into the inner courtyard (from the north) from the left: Bandhaus, Amtshaus, keep, chapel, wine press

  • Remains of the gatehouse near the keep

  • Western city wall, behind the round tower is the castle chapel

  • Zehntscheuer (right) and Reithaus (left)

use

Former castle wine press, today a winegrowers' cooperative

After Neckarsulm passed to the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1805, the administrative building became the seat of the Neckarsulm Upper Office , which existed until 1938. The Bandhaus was a Latin and Realschule from 1912 to 1945. The castle chapel, which was profaned after the secularization in 1805, housed the Protestant parish from 1851 until the construction of the Protestant town church in 1888 . The wedding room of the registry office of the city of Neckarsulm is located in this castle chapel and the outbuilding is used by the restaurant "Museum Stuben". The German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum has been located in the Bandhaus and Amtshaus since 1956 . During the renovation in 1991, the two historic buildings were connected by a modern steel and glass ramp staircase. The former castle press and the other farm buildings to the north of it are now managed by the Neckarsulm-Gundelsheim eG winegrowers' cooperative.

  • Outbuilding, today a restaurant, on the right a chapel and wine press

  • German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum, Bandhaus on the left, Amtshaus on the right

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Neckarsulm and the German Order 1484 - 1805 - 1984, Neckarsulm 1984, p. 83, no. 31, figs. 36-39.

literature

  • Rudolf Stich: Contribution to the building history of Neckarsulm - Scheuerberg Castle, City Palace. Neckarsulm 1960 (original work in the Neckarsulm city archive).
  • Rudolf Stich: The city castle of Neckarsulm. In: Local history supplement to the "Heilbronner Voice". dated February 24, 1962.
  • Rudolf Stich: The castle tower of Neckarsulm. In: Local history supplement to the "Heilbronner Voice". dated March 31, 1962.
  • Rudolf Stich: The city palace of Neckarsulm. In: Local history supplement to the "Heilbronner Voice". dated May 26, 1962.
  • August Vogt: Neckarsulm - historical city guide. Edited by Heimatverein Neckarsulm eV and the city of Neckarsulm, 2nd edition, Otto Welker GmbH, Neckarsulm 1990.
  • Team of authors (editor: Barbara Griesinger): Neckarsulm. The story of a city. Edited by Stadt Neckarsulm, Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8062-0883-2 .
  • August Vogt: Villa Sulmana Neckarsulm - Pictures of an urban development. Edited by Heimatverein Neckarsulm eV, Otto Welker GmbH, Neckarsulm 1999.
  • Karl-Heinz Dähn: Castle history hikes in the Heilbronn area. Heilbronn district (district archivist), Heilbronn 2001.

Web links

Commons : Deutschordens-Schloss Neckarsulm  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 49 ° 11 ′ 29.6 ″  N , 9 ° 13 ′ 20.6 ″  E