Michelfeld Castle (Lower Franconia)

The remains of the castle in Michelfeld

The Michelfeld Castle is a former noble residence in Marktstefter district Michel Field in the Lower Franconian district of Kitzingen. Today the property is used by a farm. It is on the outskirts of the village in the street Schloss.

history

A manor was first mentioned in Michelfeld in the 13th century. At that time, the gentlemen of Michelfeld ruled the village. A "Conradus de Michelvelt" is the first named by this name. The rule ended in the 14th century. They were followed from 1332 by the Zollner von Halberg , who soon lived in the castle and named their own line of their family after Michelfeld.

In 1367 the castle was acquired by King Charles IV . Due to debts, his son Wenzel had to mortgage the facility. In 1403 it was given to Burggraf Johann von Nürnberg . Since the pledge could never be released, the burgrave remained lord of the village and owner of the castle. The Peasants' War of 1525 caused great damage to the building, when peasants plundered the hated mansions and set them on fire.

Since 1501 the lords of Hutten held the village and castle as a fief. A description of the year 1604 names a moat and describes the complex as rectangular. In the same year, 1604, the von Hutten men had to return the castle to the margraves. The lords of Thüna became the new owners . After the destruction of the Peasants' War had largely been eliminated, the Thirty Years War raged and devastated the castle again.

The castle was rebuilt under Julius Albrecht von Thüna, but the family got heavily into debt for this. Therefore, on January 4, 1663, his son had to sell the castle and village to the Electors of Brandenburg. In 1713 the castle came into private hands and from then on it was only used as an agricultural property. The current condition is due to some additions and modifications over the past centuries. The former castle is listed as a monument, the underground remains are classified as a ground monument.

description

The system is described for the first time in a report from 1604. A moat led over to a circular wall . A bridge crossed the moat. Through a gate one entered the forecourt, which in turn was separated from the actual courtyard by a gate. Inside the courtyard was a water well attached. The information shows that it must have been a rectangular system.

After the renovations of the last few centuries, only a few remains of the former complex have survived. Remnants of the wall enclosure can still be found, and two round corner towers can also be seen. Two more such towers were demolished in 1908. There is also a semicircular projection on the east side of the building. A flight of steps on the north side and a coat of arms with the year 1523 also indicate the former use.

literature

• Hans Bauer: District of Kitzingen. An art and culture guide . Market wide 1993.
• Walter Schilling: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . Würzburg 2012.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Schilling, Walter: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . P. 289.
2. ^ Bauer, Hans: District of Kitzingen . P. 95.
3. ↑ Schilling, Walter: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . P. 289.

Coordinates: 49 ° 41 ′ 45.8 "  N , 10 ° 10 ′ 34.1"  E