Homburg Castle (Nümbrecht)

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Homburg Castle, aerial view (2020)
Homburg Castle (2005)
Homburg Castle around 1750, lithograph from the 19th century
Slot homburg.jpg

Homburg Castle is located in Nümbrecht in North Rhine-Westphalia in the Oberbergischer Kreis .

History and building history

"Die Homburg" was first mentioned in a document in 1276. Gottfried I. von Sayn from the House of Sponheim (1247 to 1283/1284) transferred his "castrum Homburg" to King Rudolf von Habsburg in order to place himself under his protection. He received the castle back as an inheritance . The complex was the residence of the Counts of the imperial rule of Homburg until it was integrated into the Grand Duchy of Berg by Napoleon after 1806 .

From 1635, Count Ernst von Sayn-Wittgenstein- Homburg rebuilt the castle as it is still visible today. 100 years later, the Sayn-Wittgenstein- Berleburg line took over management. In the years 1816–1819 the castle housed the seat of the Prussian district of Homburg , after which it was left to decay. The decline was not stopped until 1904, and in 1926 a museum founded by Hermann Conrad moved into the premises, today's Museum of the Oberbergischer Kreis.

During an excavation in 1999, a stone tower with a diameter of around 12.5 meters was uncovered. Experts estimate it to be in the 11th century.

At the beginning of 2005, the district council of the Oberbergischer Kreis decided to expand the castle. These plans include the expansion of the Red House and the construction of a central cash desk and toilet area. The old orangery was demolished and replaced by a new two-story administration and exhibition building.

As part of the Regionale 2010 , the project received the A stamp. Before the orangery was demolished, excavation work was carried out by the Rhenish Office for Monument Preservation . On May 4, 2012, the foundation stone was laid for the new glass pavilion in place of the old orangery.

Other buildings on the castle grounds

Saw and flour mill

In the immediate vicinity there is a saw and grain mill with a bakery . In addition, in the former tithe barn of the castle, the Red House , is the seat of the Oberberg Biological Station , whose main areas of responsibility are the scientific and practical supervision of the Upper Mountain nature reserves and various landscape conservation projects.

Homburg Castle Nature Experience Trail

The nature discovery trail was established in 2004. This is a circular route initiated by the "Biological Station Oberberg" and the German Forest Protection Association .

The hiking and adventure trail begins at the castle and leads through Homburg-Bröl and Huppichteroth , past the historic Holsteins mill and the thick stones back to Homburg Castle. So far, nine stations have been set up along the route, at which hikers can learn about the nature around Homburg Castle and the Brölauen.

The stations are:

  1. Forests around Homburg Castle: Here you can get to know and explore the individual tree species through peep boxes.
  2. The oak (topic: All around the tree): Here the life of an oak is illustrated using the annual rings and the height of an oak can be measured.
  3. Cultural landscape: The varied cultural landscape is presented and the individual habitats can be explored with a telescope.
  4. The village as a habitat: This shows how people and nature live together. Some bird calls can be heard here.
  5. Hedge: The structure of hedges as well as life in the hedge is explained here using display boards and a look-through board.
  6. Treetop platform: Here you can experience it from an unusual perspective from a platform built into the treetops and are informed about life in this area of ​​the forest by means of display boards.
  7. Brölaue: Here, the water level and the inhabitants of the Brölbach are demonstrated using a transparent panel and a rotating wheel.
  8. Thick Stones: The creation of the natural monument “Thick Stones” is conveyed very clearly here.
  9. Woodpecker forest: At this station you can take a look into the apartment of a great spotted woodpecker.

The Homburg Castle Nature Discovery Trail is around 2.8 kilometers long. The tour usually lasts 1.5 to 2 hours.

literature

  • Paul Clemen : Homburg. In: Ders .: The art monuments of the Rhine Province . Volume 5, 1: The art monuments of the districts Gummersbach. Waldbroel and Wipperfürth. Schwann Verlag, Düsseldorf 1900. pp. 29–34.
  • Peter Wilhelm Hüssen: History of the former imperial rule Homburg an der Mark. Bookstore of the Evangelical Society, Barmen 1870.
  • Ursula Francke: New insights into the building history of Homburg Castle. In: Archäologie im Rheinland 1999. Köln / Bonn 2000. pp. 136–137.
  • Gabriele Golsch, Dirk Herdemerten, Uwe Schoenfelder: The Baroque ornamental garden of Homburg Castle. New results on building history. In: Archäologie im Rheinland 2013. Theiss Verlag, Darmstadt 2014. pp. 226–227.
  • Alena-Maria Ramisch: Homburg Castle. News about building history. In: Jürgen Kunow : 25 years of archeology in the Rhineland 1987–2011. Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2012. pp. 188–191.
  • Gudrun Sievers-Flägel: Nümbrecht and Homburg Castle. 1st edition. Sutton, Erfurt 2000, ISBN 3-89702-269-9 .
  • Gudrun Sievers-Flägel: Museum Schloss Homburg. Gronenberg Druck, Wiehl 2001.

Web links

Commons : Schloss Homburg  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Museum Schloss Homburg, Rulers and Subjects, p. 10.
  2. Schloss Homburg on the website of the Oberbergischer Kreis , accessed on September 19, 2005.
  3. Green light for castle expansion . In: Bergische Morgenpost . Edition of March 24, 2005.

Coordinates: 50 ° 54'56.4 "  N , 7 ° 32'12.3"  E.