Robbery Castle (Graefenroda)
| Robbery Castle | ||
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| Alternative name (s): | 1557 the Allenburg , 1633 the Altenburg | |
| Creation time : | around 1150 | |
| Castle type : | Spurburg | |
| Conservation status: | Trenches and mounds of ruins | |
| Standing position : | Count | |
| Place: | Graefenroda | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 43 '10.8 " N , 10 ° 47' 49.1" E | |
| Height: | 575 m above sea level NN | |
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The robbery castle (or the Alteburg ) was a high medieval fortification near Gräfenroda on the western mountain spur of the Arlesberg , also known as the old castle .
location
The castle site is about 3.5 km (as the crow flies) southwest of the center of Gräfenroda and about 2 km south of the Dörrberg district . Below the castle, the busy Erfurt - Oberhof - Suhl railway line runs through the Wild Gera valley . The course of the medieval trade route near Geschwenda was decisive for the construction of the castle . Numerous ravines on the eastern slope of the Arlesberg , about 900 m away, mark the ascent of this important trade route, its course was (according to Gerbing): Arnstadt - Plaue - Geschwenda - ascent on Arlesberg - Güldene Brücke - Rennsteig , then - descent to Goldlauter and Suhl. A second road ran from Arnstadt via Liebenstein , Graefenroda, Waldsberg, Löffelbühl and Oberhof to Suhl.
history
Probably around 1150 the Counts of Kevernburg had the small castle built on the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest. During the numerous battles in the 13th century, the castle repeatedly passed into the possession of robber knights, who caused great damage to Erfurt's trade. In the years 1290 and 1343 the castle was besieged and finally completely destroyed.
Mining trial
At the beginning of the 17th century, the forests around the castle were visited by miners who had previously built mines on the western slope of the Arlesberg . It was hoped to mine copper and silver ores here too. In 1606 Barthel Drachstedt , a mining entrepreneur from Ilmenau, acquired the concession for the Alte Burg mining area and the Arlesberg . In the following five years this area attracted numerous investors , but in vain: after deducting all income, there was a loss of over 13,000 guilders for the tunnels, shafts, hydraulic structures and the construction of stamping works, smelters and accommodation.
Excavations
The forester Carl Brückner directed the first excavations in the Alteburg area from 1905 to 1909. He determined their structure and external dimensions. The castle was a rectangular complex and had an area of 65 m × 50 m. In the middle there was a 1.5 m × 1.0 m large draw well carved out of the rock , the estimated depth of which is about 30 m; However, a mining shaft would also be conceivable. The lower parts of the masonry of the castle consisted of the local limestone , the upper floors of sandstones from the area. Today a reconstructed wall section can be viewed at the excavation site.
status
The castle site is a protected ground monument . The area in question is used for forestry.
Lore
There are a number of legends about the robbery palace. The burgrave and his daughter Katharina Anna are said to have been driven out by the robber barons.
literature
- Thomas Bienert: "Ruin Robbery Castle" - Medieval castles in Thuringia . Wartberg Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 2000, ISBN 3-86134-631-1 , p. 126 .
- Michael Köhler: "Robbery Castle" - Thuringian castles and fortified prehistoric and early historical living spaces . Jenzig-Verlag, Jena 2001, ISBN 3-910141-43-9 , p. 205-206 .
- Luise Gerbing : The field names of the Duchy of Gotha and the forest names of the Thuringian Forest between the Weinstrasse in the west and the Schorte (lock) in the east . G. Fischer, Jena 1910; archive.org .
- H. von Minckwitz: Copper and silver mines in the Thuringian Forest in the 17th century . In: The Thuringian Flag . Issue 4. Gustav Neuenhahn Verlag, Jena 1936, p. 177-180 .
Web links
- Homepage of the robbery castle with an attempt to reconstruct the castle