Rodenstein Castle

Rodenstein Castle
The Rodensteiner Schloss (street front)
Alternative name (s):	Rodensteiner Hof
Creation time :	14th Century
Castle type :	Adelshof, city palace
Conservation status:	refurbished and restored, old people's home
Standing position :	Adelshof
Construction:	below: plastered sandstone masonry above: framework
Place:	Groß-Umstadt
Geographical location	49 ° 52 '9 "  N , 8 ° 55' 40.6"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 52 '9 "  N , 8 ° 55' 40.6"  E
Height:	160  m above sea level NN

The Rodensteiner Schloss (often also called the Rodensteiner Hof ) is located on the northern flank of the old town of Groß-Umstadt in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district in Hesse and is one of the city's seven former aristocratic residences .

location

Size and location of the Rodensteiner castle area

The alliance coat of arms of the first owners: The rascals of Bergen and the lords of Boineburg

The information board at the big gate

The former Adelshof is just 50 meters north of the Wambolt and Palatinate palaces and within walking distance of the former Curti Palace and formed the western end of the northern old city ​​wall , which was protected at the eastern end by the Darmstadt castle .

history

The history of the Umstadt-Otzberger branch of the Schelme von Bergen is based on Hermann Schelm von Bergen and his wife Benigna von Heusenstamm . The first evidence of the later castle is available from 1409. The Count Palatine Ruprecht III made the manorial feudal court vacant to Sibolt Schelm von Bergen . Members of the family were already in the 13th century as bailiffs and bailiffs for the Palatinate in office and dignity. In 1454 there was a division into the front and rear house for the brothers Hans and Eberhart Schelm von Bergen . For the year 1465, an extension of the castle is proven, among other things with the addition of the still existing hexagonal stair tower with a stone spiral staircase . At the same time, the area was expanded through purchase. This was done by Hans SvB's son Karl SvB (* 1443; † February 16, 1489 in Umstadt). In 1540, through the marriage of Anna Schelm von Bergen , the area passed to Otto von Boyneburg (here Boineburg ), who was the bailiff in Umstadt and who had it largely rebuilt. This can also be seen on the preserved alliance coat of arms of the rascals of Bergen and that of Boineburg with the year above it on the archway next to the former main entrance. From 1585 (marriage of Otto von Boineburg's daughter Anna with Jörg III. Von Rodenstein ) to their extinction in the male line in 1671, the von Rodenstein family is proven to be the owner and namesake. It was then a Catholic collection, a pastor's and a teacher's apartment. It has been in municipal ownership since 1909. A cigarette factory was designated there from 1924 to 1934 . The castle is now a retirement home.

Building history

The building itself and the back garden are now only a fraction of the castle property, which was located in the middle of the city and was integrated into the city ensemble in the late Middle Ages and modern times . For more than half of the area up to the old city wall running north, no written evidence of the type of development and use has been found. The main building itself corresponds to a large extent to the new buildings around 1550 due to the von Boineburg family and subsequent renovations and extensions. The main building is masonry, hewn and plastered sandstone with attached framework . There is a toilet bay on its western gable wall .

In 1789 the facade was changed and in 1980 the roof was changed during renovation and reconstruction work. On the street side, the massive ground floor is characterized by a large, flat-arched closed gate entrance with a hand gate. Next to it are the coats of arms with architectural framing and segment gables . The upper framework contains man figures. The rear of the courtyard is dominated by the two-storey hexagonal stair tower with a stone spiral staircase . After multiple sales with the extinction of the Rodensteiner, the main building temporarily housed the Catholic collection, a pastor's and teacher's apartment and the apartment of the municipal servant. The main building is a cultural monument because of its historical and architectural significance .

The small Rodensteiner Hof, located to the northeast, which later housed a brewery , was demolished in 1840 and replaced by a Lutheran school with teachers' apartments.

The Rodensteiner town houses to the northeast of the main building were built in 1598. Their name meant that, in contrast to the noble house, they were subject to tax and apportionment despite being bought by the von Rodenstein family. In 1980 they were torn down and style elements that still existed, such as a renaissance archway with fittings typical of the city and a baroque door with sandstone walls from 1790, were incorporated into the new extensions. These old components are individual cultural monuments.

• Pictures of the main palace - view from the north (inner courtyard)
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  The east part of the main building

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  The hexagonal tower with a stone spiral staircase from 1465 in the middle

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  The western part of the main building

Todays use

Today the castle is owned by the city and the entire building ensemble is a senior citizens' residence with a meeting place. This is not to assisted living and it is also not care facility .
The city has set up an advice center in the castle. As the municipal women's representative, she is responsible for the workforce and as the equal opportunities representative for all people in the city. The other half of the full-time position is dedicated to senior work.

literature

• Rolf Müller (Ed.): Palaces, castles, old walls. Published by the Hessendienst der Staatskanzlei, Wiesbaden 1990, ISBN 3-89214-017-0 , p. 154 f.
• Wolfgang Schröck-Schmidt: Umstadt castles and aristocratic residences: Das Rodensteiner Schloß zu Umstadt In: 1250 years Groß-Umstadt: 743 - 1993 , publisher Magistrat der Stadt, Geiger-Verlag, Horb am Neckar, p. 187 ff.
• G. Brenner - a resident and his city. Essays on history. Autmundisstat series of publications. Special tape. Ed. Museum and History Association Groß-Umstadt , 2009, 1st edition, pp. 14–16, 20, 26
• Georg Brenner, Günter Schüttler: The city with a history: From alley to alley through the historic Umstadt , published by Magistrat der Stadt Groß-Umstadt, (1981), 2nd edition 2010, Groß-Umstadt, 43 pages

Web links

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

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Certificate: HStAD inventory G 28 Gross-Umstadt no.R 232
2. ↑ Handbook of German Art Monuments: Hessen , Volume VI, Deutscher Kunstverlag, 1982, p. 362