Hallenburg
| Hallenburg | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hallenburg ruin |
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| Alternative name (s): | castum Haldenberc (1268), Haldenberg (1360, 1420), Haldenburg (1391), Hallenbergk Castle (1532), Hauß Hallenbergk (1565), Halleburgk Castle (1607), Hauß Hallenburgk (1616) | |
| Creation time : | probably after 1212 | |
| Castle type : | Höhenburg, spur location | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Steinbach-Hallenberg | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 42 '23.5 " N , 10 ° 34' 21.9" E | |
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The Hallenburg is the ruin of a medieval spur castle and landmark of the town of Steinbach-Hallenberg . It is located on the southwest slope of the Thuringian Forest in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district in Thuringia , Germany .
location
The Hallenburg is located on an approximately 80 m high, steeply sloping porphyry rock on three sides on the Arnsberg . The town of Steinbach-Hallenberg lies in the valley in front of today's ruins .
history
Edification
By whom and when the Hallenburg was built cannot be determined with certainty. The construction time 909, which Johann Sebastian Güth specifies in his chronicle of the city of Meiningen , is controversial as there is no evidence. The small dynastic rule of the Lords of Hallenberg could, however, go back to the beginning of the 12th century, as the borderline in a Reinhardsbrunn monastery document from 1111 allows conclusions to be drawn about a dominion around the Hallenburg. The Hallenburg is said to have been among the castles destroyed by Emperor Otto IV in 1212, which suggests that the building was built on older foundations by the Lords of Hallenberg at the beginning of the 13th century.
First documentary mention
In 1228, Reginhald von Haldinberc was named as a witness when the Rohr monastery was defied. With the acquisition of the reign of Hallenberg by the county of Henneberg , the small dynastic rule ended in 1232. In 1232 Reinhard von Hallenberg was named as a Henneberg clerk. Since the middle of the 13th century, the Hallenburg was the residence, official and administrative seat, protective castle and prison of the medieval judicial district of Zent Benshausen . During the entire rule of the Henneberg, the castle and the office of Hallenberg were administered by castle officials and bailiffs. In 1268 the Hallenburg itself was first mentioned as "Castum Haldenberc" in a Latin deed of donation.
When the Henneberg Count's House split up into the Henneberg-Hartenberg, Henneberg-Aschach-Römhild and Henneberg-Schleusingen lines in 1274, the castle became part of the Hartenberg line. The Hallenburg became the residence and residence of the Counts of Henneberg-Hartenberg. For financial reasons, they pledged the Hallenburg to the Lords of Bibra in 1374 . On March 13, 1391 these ceded the Hallenburg to the Henneberg-Aschach line, as the Hartenberg line had died out. In 1549, the castle and the Hallenberg office were violently taken by Count Wilhelm IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen due to a dispute over the succession (the Aschach-Römhild line became extinct).
Decline
When the Henneberg Count's House died out in 1583, the castle was the focus of constant inheritance disputes, pledges and inheritance divisions. In 1584, the office of Hallenberg passed to the Saxon ruling family due to hereditary fraternities . An inventory and construction accounts for the Hallenburg have been preserved from 1584. Until 1588, the Hallenburg was the seat of the castle bailiff and administrator. After that, only a courtier lived in the lower buildings of the castle. The administration was merged with Kühndorf at the end of the 16th century , which meant the castle's decline. In 1608 the ruinous Hallenberg house and all of its buildings were laid down by sovereign order. The castle has been in ruins since then.
In the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War , the ruins served the valley residents as protection from the advancing war hordes. In 1624 Steinbach-Hallenberg was attacked by imperial horsemen. At that time still preserved woodwork was probably burned.
Rediscovery and Conservation
It was not until the 19th century that efforts were made to preserve the ruins. The reason was the admiration of medieval life and art that began with Romanticism . In 1850 a budget for the maintenance of the ruin in the amount of 65 thalers was approved. In 1866, the Hessian state forests, including the Hallenburg, were given away to Duke Ernst von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha .
Rockslide
When the steeply protruding rock pulpit hanging on the west side fell on August 20, 1919, the overall appearance of the castle was destroyed. However, the accident had been announced a long time in advance. Suspicious jumps in the rocky pulpit were reacted to with a warning sign and the area closed. The falling porphyry rock tore a workshop in the valley with it and completely destroyed it. As if by a miracle, nobody was injured.
In 1945 the ruin was included in the district's protected monuments. Substantial funds have been made available to maintain it. Since 1984 a roof hood based on the old model has crowned the tower again.
investment
The entire complex of the Hallenburg can no longer be fully ascertained today. The castle probably consisted of a bailey and about twelve feet higher underlying core castle with dungeon and regal main building. The farm buildings , a barn-like building and numerous stables stood on the outer bailey , which was protected by about two meters thick surrounding walls . A footpath led from the outer bailey to the inner bailey. There was the so-called upper house. For the water supply, an artificial watercourse was created from the fountain meadows above the castle using pipes. There was no own well.
Premises
Building bills and an inventory list from 1584 have been preserved. These allow a reconstruction of the premises.
On the side facing the Arnsberg there was the gatehouse, which represented the entrance to the outer bailey. It consisted of a small tower in which there was a little gate room with an oven. From there, the traffic inside and outside the castle could be observed. To close the gate or to bridge the moat , the drawbridge was rebuilt from scratch during construction in 1584. On the outer bailey there were various stables (4 horse stables, 2 pig stalls) and a " barn " within the walls . In its “barn”, the adjoining room to the threshing floor , the barn had “ruffles” on both sides for 20 head of cattle and was mainly used as a storage place for feed and for storing agricultural equipment. The farm complex contained around 23 horses, 20 cows and other cattle, pigs and small livestock.
The part of the castle preserved today as a ruin is the so-called upper house. This main building was surrounded by walls on three sides. The upper gate led to the inner courtyard. The access to the upper house was in the attached stair tower on the right side of the castle building. A spiral staircase led to three floors with various stately rooms and chambers.
The kitchen was on the ground floor. A door led into two consecutive chambers on the north side of the building. A second door leads from the kitchen into a smaller chamber, which is separated from a "vault behind the kitchen" by an iron door.
On the first floor there was the "large room" which served as the living room and lounge for the rulers. There was a tiled stove on the chimney side (side facing the donjon) . Next to the “large room” was the “Jungkern Cammer” and a smaller room with a tiled stove. Another, unspecified chamber with three low windows followed.
The stately individual rooms were on the second floor. On the chimney side was the “women's room” with a tiled stove in it. It was followed by the “Herr Cammer”, “Frauenzimmers Cammer” and the “Hofmeisters Cammer”. These served as sleeping quarters. Next to the “Hofmeisters Cammer” was a “Speiß Cammer”.
The roof of the three-storey house was with bricks covered. Underneath there was a large attic , which presumably served as a lounge and bedroom for the staff.
Economic assets
The castle estates, fields, meadows and the castle garden in front of the forest belonged to the castle's economic system. The "Wirtshaus am Bergk" with the "Breuhauß" located on the Schlossberg also belonged to the castle district in 1584. The “bell house” still preserved today also belonged to the Hallenburg. Because of the busy hunting activity, the "Jegerhauß" on the Jägerwiese opposite Dillersgasse also belonged to the castle district.
Representations
No authentic images of the original castle have survived. Only a map by Joist Moers ( true outline and actual description of the office of Schmalkalden ) from 1589 has a claim to authenticity, as it was created before the Hallenburg was demolished. On this partially colored pen drawing on parchment , however, the Hallenburg is only vaguely recognizable and without precise details.
literature
- Thomas Bienert: Medieval castles in Thuringia. 430 castles, castle ruins and fortifications . Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-631-1 , p. 268–270: Hallenburg .
- Alexander Köbrich: History of Steinbach and Amt Hallenberg. Self-published by the author, Steinbach-Hallenberg 1894 (reprint, edited by Volker Wahl . Hubert, Göttingen 2008).
- Michael Köhler: Thuringian castles and fortified prehistoric and early historical living spaces . Jenzig-Verlag Köhler, Jena 2001, ISBN 3-910141-43-9 , p. 125–126: Hallenburg .
- Volker Wahl: A walk through the history of Steinbach-Hallenberg and the surrounding area. Hallenburg-Verlag, Steinbach-Hallenberg 1990.
