Herzburg
The Herzburg (Harzburg) was located near the district town of Altenkirchen (Westerwald) on the long mountain spur between Gieleroth, Widderstein, Ingelbach and Borod. Archaeological monuments and place names give clues to the earlier settlement. This hilltop is surrounded by the Wied and is strategically located between the old "Köln-Frankfurter-Straße" (today Bundesstraße 8 ) and the old Köln-Leipziger-Straße (today Bundesstraße 414 ). Both streets are identical from Cologne to Altenkirchen. From Altenkirchen they branch out. From Cologne to Greifenstein / Herborn an der Lahn, Cologne-Leipziger-Strasse is also known as Cölnish High Heer and Geleitstrasse .
The ore wealth under the Herzberg and the proximity to the two "High Roads" (= watershed roads) suggest that the region was already settled in prehistoric times. It was not until 1935 that the “labor service” removed a prehistoric barrow. The section wall , which was supposed to protect the ridge against enemies, can still be clearly seen.
In old maps from 1820 the ridge is called "Harzburg". But the new cadastral maps speak of "Herzberg", "Herzburg" and "Erzburg". Several springs arise on the slopes, so that on the hilltop it was not necessary to dig too deep to create wells.
In the Middle Ages probably on the Herzberg a castle have been to secure the two highways. When a castle was built around 1300 in nearby Altenkirchen - already an important road junction at that time - and this place was fortified as a city from 1314, the "Herzburg" lost its importance. From the Herzburg only an upstream Burgmannenhof remained on the parcel "In the middle of the Herzburg". This probably disappeared with the fall of the County of Sayn-Altenkirchen .
A legend about the Herzburg is still told in the surrounding villages.
literature
- "The Herzburg" and "The saga of the Herzburg" in: Günter Fleischer / Mathilde Osterrath u. a., Gieleroth-Herpteroth-Amteroth 1408-2008 Heimat im Wandel, Gieleroth 2008, pp. 61–71 with further references. - Also available on the Internet: Gielerother Chronicle (PDF 16 MB)
Coordinates: 50 ° 40 ′ 32.1 ″ N , 7 ° 42 ′ 7.1 ″ E