Ludwigstein Castle
| Ludwigstein Castle | ||
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 Ludwigstein Castle |
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| Creation time : | around 1400 to 1500 | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Received or received substantial parts | |
| Standing position : | Count | |
| Place: | Werleshausen ( Witzenhausen ) | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 19 '18 " N , 9 ° 54' 33" E | |
| Height: | 236 m above sea level NN | |
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The Ludwigstein is a former late medieval castle and today Jugendburg at Werleshausen in Werra-Meissner in Hessen .
Geographical location
The Höhenburg is located in the northern foothills of the Soodener Bergland near the Witzenhausen district of Werleshausen , which is located about 700 m northeast of the castle on the other side of the Werra in the natural area Lindewerra -Werleshäuser Schlingen ; west of the castle is Wendershausen (to Witzenhausen) and southeast of Oberrieden (to Bad Sooden-Allendorf ). The elevation belonging to this natural area (approx. 236 m above sea level ), on which the castle stands, drops to the east, north and west along the Werra, which tends to flow to the northwest. The tri-border region of Hesse-Lower Saxony-Thuringia lies about six kilometers to the north-northeast .
history
Construction and original function
The castle was built from the summer of 1415 under Landgrave Ludwig I of Hesse to protect the disputed border across from Eichsfeld in Electoral Mainz and Hanstein Castle in Mainz . It has not been established whether there was an earlier fortification in the same place.
Until 1664 the castle was the seat of a Hessian bailiff and the center of administration and jurisdiction in the Hessian Werra area, but never had supraregional importance. Hans von Dörnberg the Elder , previously the Hessian marshal and bailiff in Homberg an der Efze , became the first bailiff of the new Ludwigstein office and the Witzenhausen office, which was first mentioned in 1361 on April 28, 1416 . According to a list of 1466 lands and income in the villages of Oberrieden, Wendershausen, Hilgershausen, Hundelshausen, Weißenbach, Roßbach, Kleinalmerode, Bischhausen and in Witzenhausen belonged to the office; in the 16th century further villages were added around Witzenhausen, Eichenberg and Friedland. Hans von Dörnberg was followed by a number of Hessian nobles - including members of the Berlepsch , Herda , Boyneburg , Buttlar , Diede , Hanstein , Meysenbug and Steinberg families . At times they were also pledges of the castle. Among them was Hans von Dörnberg the Younger (1427–1506), the son of the first bailiff, of outstanding importance; he was 1462-1497 Hessian court master .
From 1545 to 1574 the Ludwigstein experienced a brief interlude as a fiefdom and an independent aristocratic court. As a counter-deal to provide for relatives of his bigamistic second wife Margarethe von der Saale , Landgrave Philipp Burg and Amt Ludwigstein transferred his valet Christoph Hülsing and his descendants as a fief. Philip's son, Wilhelm IV of Hessen-Kassel , succeeded in buying back this property only after long negotiations . After that, the castle was again the seat of Hessian officials, mostly civil officials.
Rotenburger Quart and domain management
In 1627, Ludwigstein Castle and Office belonged to the so-called Rotenburger Quart , the quarter of his country left by Landgrave Moritz von Hessen-Kassel to his second wife Juliane von Nassau-Dillenburg and the children from this marriage. In the course of the further division of the only partially independent Landgraviate of Hessen-Rotenburg, the castle changed hands several times in the branching Hessian-Rotenburg princely house. It was not until 1834, with the extinction of these secondary lines, that the Ludwigstein came back into the possession of the main Hessen-Kassel line.
1664 the Office Ludwig stone was with the office of mayor combines Witzenhausen and thus the Ludwigstein lost its function as seat of a sovereign bailiff. Instead, agricultural tenants moved in until the current domain administration was relocated to Wendershausen around 1830.
After that, the facility was used variously, including as a brewery, sheepfold and warehouse. The demolition of the outer castle began in 1862. After Ludwigstein was released from the maintenance obligation of the domain in 1882, the inner castle gradually fell into disrepair.
Acquisition and reconstruction by the Wandervogel
Old walls had a great attraction for the romantic-inspired migratory birds . At the beginning of the 20th century the castle was largely in ruins. On a hike, the Ludwigstein was spotted from the Hanstein and henceforth traded as an insider tip. More and more groups of migratory birds met “by chance” “on the Lu”.
In 1913, the Freideutsche Youth Day took place on the nearby Meißner - which was officially called " Hoher Meißner " from now on. The region, which had long been known as the fairy tale land of the Brothers Grimm , acquired a special significance for the youth movement. The decision was made to acquire the vacant castle and to expand it into a spatial and spiritual center for the groups of young people. Before these plans could be put into practice, however, the First World War began .
The war left the youth movements in great turmoil. A year before the war broke out on the Hoher Meissner, a new era was invoked and Emperor Wilhelm II urgently asked in a telegram to keep the peace, but the flag was willingly followed. 50,000 migratory birds did not return from the war. The hiking bird Enno Narten and other youth movements founded the association " Jugendburg Ludwigstein" on April 4, 1920 and acquired the ruins in order to restore them as a memorial for those who died in the war and as a visible symbol of a new building. In long rows, young people handed the stones for the reconstruction from hand to hand from the Werra valley up to the castle. At the time of inflation after the First World War , the Ludwigstein created its own currency, and youth movements from all leagues moved from there as settlers to the countryside to take their lives into their own hands. The castle experienced a real heyday - until it was taken over by National Socialism .
Training camp of the Hitler Youth
At the beginning of 1933 the castle became the first regional leadership school for the Hitler Youth in Kurhessen; their sponsoring association submitted to the National Socialist Reich Youth Leadership. As a member of the Reichsverband Deutscher Jugendherbergen (Reich Association of German Youth Hostels) and converted into a circle of friends and sponsors of the Ludwigstein Youth Castle Memorial, the association was able to last until the final ban on September 17, 1941. Since 1933, however, the Ludwigstein has mostly been used, and since 1941 exclusively for the purposes of National Socialist youth work - from training camps to children’s deportation.
New beginning after the Second World War
After the end of the war, the castle initially served as a refugee camp. In 1946 it was returned to the re-approved association Jugendburg Ludwigstein.
The youth groups, however, were scattered in all directions, the archive was lost, the castle was again on a border - but it was still outwardly preserved. The youth leagues were newly founded; so on the Ludwigstein 1953 first the "migratory bird", which was the first driving association to admit to non-violence. In 1966, the “ Ring of Young Leagues ” was formed at the same location . In addition to the migratory birds, there was also an increasing number of boy scout associations and youngsters . The archive of the German youth movement was rebuilt and - like the castle - transferred to a foundation in 1970. Today it is an integral part of the Hessian State Archives. In addition, in 1982 there was an educational establishment that supports the contemporary continuation of the impulses of the youth movement.
In February 1997, the Independent Ecologists of Germany (UÖD) , a non-partisan, right-wing extremist split from the ÖDP and, according to Oliver Geden, at that time "the most important of the brown-green organizations in terms of quantity and quality", held their national meeting at Ludwigstein Castle under the motto "The tender Green of home. Thoughts on Bioregionalism ”.
On the occasion of the 37th anniversary of Enno Narten's death , the foundation stone was laid for the Enno Narten building on January 10, 2010. This extension was inaugurated on September 15, 2012. According to the builders, it is the "largest straw bale house in the republic". At the beginning of 2011, the project was named a UN Decade Project "Education for Sustainable Development" by UNESCO .
Cultural starting point for the region
Ludwigstein Castle, the coat of arms of the Werra-Meißner district, sees itself as a regional contact point - since 1989 also for the neighbors in the Thuringian district of Eichsfeld . Together with Hanstein Castle in Thuringia , the “Two Castle View Initiative” was launched against this backdrop. In the 2011 stamp year of the Federal Republic of Germany , the Federal Ministry of Finance issued a special “Zweurgenblick im Werra Valley” stamp.
The regular events at Ludwigstein Castle that are open to visitors include Sunday castle tours with refreshment stops and open evening singing by the fireplace. The "European Youth Weeks Working Group" holds an Easter market and an Advent market every year in addition to the Euro week with guests from all over Europe. These arts and crafts markets are very popular in the region. There is a close cooperation with the Witzenhausen tourist information office for the joint development of leisure activities and with the “Kulturgemeinschaft Witzenhausen” for the implementation of cultural events at the castle. The castle kitchen also likes to fall back on the offers of regional providers.
Venue for school trips and family camps
As a free youth hostel with currently 174 beds, the Ludwigstein offers a place for open encounters. School classes have the opportunity to explore the area on their own or to take advantage of what the educational institution has to offer. Paddling tours on the Werra or the medieval programs, in which role-playing games are developed and everyday objects are manufactured using old techniques, are particularly popular . It is also possible to explore the archive - for example, to track down the youthful roots of the resistance groups “ White Rose ” and “ Edelweiss Pirates ”.
The family week, which always takes place in the week before Easter, is one of the largest and most traditional events. Originally launched by two large families over 30 years ago, these meetings are already in the fourth and fifth generations. It is a nine-day community festival.
The preservation of folk songs and dances that the groups of the youth leagues bring with them from their journeys has always been an important concern of the youth movement. The Ludwigstein plays a central role in this exchange - for example at the annual festival of the “Living Culture Initiative”. With half a dozen day rooms, a large ballroom and a spacious campground, the castle is also suitable for larger folklore meetings . A big dance festival takes place every autumn, to which groups from all over Germany travel. It will be even more colorful in summer at the “European Youth Week”. For almost fifty years, the European Youth Weeks working group has welcomed three or four European guest groups; they exchange ideas for a week in working groups and promote the culture of their region with dances, songs and culinary specialties.
Awards
In 2007 the youth castle was awarded the “Uniform Prize ” for its “History Trekking” project . In 2010 it was a “selected location” in the “365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” competition in the “Education and Youth” category.
In 2006, Ludwigstein Castle was awarded the “Youth in Motion” concept for the first time as a decade project “Education for Sustainable Development” . At the beginning of 2011 the construction project “The Third Ring” was also named as a decade project.
Stamp motifs
On April 14, 1977, the castles and palaces stamp series issued a 30 Pfennig postage stamp with the Ludwigstein Castle motif at the Deutsche Bundespost and Deutsche Bundespost Berlin. On February 3, 2011, Deutsche Post AG issued a 90- cent postage stamp with a view of two castles in the Werra valley , showing Ludwigstein Castle in Hesse and Hanstein Castle ruins in Thuringia on both sides of the Werra.
See also
The castle is a stop on the Werra-Burgen-Steig Hessen long-distance hiking trail (X5H).
literature
- Hugo Waldeyer-Hartz (author), Herbert Rothgaengel (illustrator): Ludwigstein Castle in the Werra Valley - the castle of German youth hikers . With an appendix: Rings um den Ludwigstein (by Paul Heidelbach), 1924, paperback, Verlagbuchhandlung Fr. Zillessen, Berlin 1924 (82 pages).
- Winfried Mogge : Ludwigstein Castle - From the border fortress to the youth castle . In: Erich Hildebrand: Land an Werra and Meißner - A home book. Published by the Historical Society of Werraland, publisher: Wilhelm Bing, Korbach 1983, pp. 171–175 (with an old engraving by Ludwigstein and three other illustrations).
- Rudolf Knappe: Medieval castles in Hessen. 800 castles, castle ruins and fortifications. 3. Edition. Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-228-6 .
- Karl Kollmann : Ludwigstein Castle . Schnell and Steiner, Regensburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-7954-5203-2 .
- Hans-Jürgen Tast: The "Jugendburg Ludwigstein" and the Hildesheim graphics class. 100 years of youth hostels. In: Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung , No. 207, Sept. 5, 2009, p. 16 (with 5 illustrations); Printed (but with 10 illustrations) in: Sven Abromeit (Ed.): Aus der Heimat, year 2009. Verlag Gebrüder Gerstenberg, Hildesheim 2009, ISBN 978-3-8067-8734-4 , pp. 51–54.
- Susanne Rappe-Weber: The awakening of youth - The 1st Free German Youth Day [on the Meißner, today: "Hoher Meißner"] is celebrating its 100th anniversary . In: Communications from the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies Kassel 1934 e. V., No. 64, July 2013, pp. 62–83.
- Susanne Rappe-Weber: event, memory, redefinition. The Freideutsche Youth Day on the Hohen Meißner in 1913. In: Journal [year book] of the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies [ZHG], Volume 117/118, 2012/13, Kassel 2013, pp. 197–204 (with 4 illustrations).
- Susanne Rappe-Weber: Era of the rural nobility. Ludwigstein Castle experienced its first heyday from 1416 to 1664 . In: Werra-Rundschau, Eschwege, February 20, 2015 (Meißner-Witzenhausen), p. 4 (with 3 illustrations).
- Eckart Conze, Susanne Rappe-Weber (ed.): Approaches to the history of the castle (= youth movement and youth cultures, yearbook 11). Vandenberg & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2015 (500 p., 17 fig.).
- Christina Vanja, Kassel, review of the above book in: Journal of the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies, Volume 121, 2016. Self-published by the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies Kassel 1834 e. V., pp. 341-343.
- Susanne Rappe-Weber: Reform Movements of the 1920s in Hessen. The Ludwigstein youth castle and the youth movement . In: Hessische Heimat, vol. 69, 2019.
Web links
- Entry by Jens Friedhoff zu Ludwigstein in the scientific database " EBIDAT " of the European Castle Institute
- Association Jugendburg Ludwigstein e. V., Ludwigstein Youth Castle Foundation and Archive of the German Youth Movement, Ludwigstein Youth Education Center
Individual evidence
- ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
- ↑ Oliver Geden : Right Ecology. Environmental protection between emancipation and fascism (Antifa edition) . Elefanten Press Verlag, Berlin 1996, 2nd edition 1999, ISBN 3-88520-576-9 , p. 89 ff.
- ↑ Look to the right. 14/1997.
- ↑ Newspaper article HNA. Retrieved July 5, 2010 .
- ↑ The Third Ring. Retrieved July 5, 2010 .
- ↑ UNESCO honors Jugendburg. In: HNA. Retrieved March 1, 2011 .
- ↑ Our awards. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 5, 2011 ; Retrieved March 1, 2011 .
- ↑ https://www.briefmarken-bilder.de/brd-briefmarken-1977/burg-ludwigstein-werratal