Wiesentheid Castle

Wiesentheid Castle, owned by Count Schönborn since 1701 , expanded into a residence by Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn

The Schloss Wiesentheid is a former noble residence in the Lower Franconian market Wiesentheid . It is now inhabited by the von Schönborn-Wiesentheid family.

history

The history of the castle in Wiesentheid began in the late Middle Ages. At that time, the Counts of Castell held the moated castle in the village. After the counts continued to get into debt in the 16th century, Count Konrad zu Castell had to sell the castle in 1547. The recipient of the system was Valentin Fuchs von Dornheim . Soon afterwards he moved his residence to the castle in Wiesentheid.

Valentin's successor, Hans Fuchs von Dornheim, had a new palace built in 1576. The so-called “Fuchs-Bau” was built in the southwest of today's facility. The Fuchs lived in the castle until 1673. In that year, Georg Adolf Fuchs von Dornheim, the last of the family, died out. His widow Anna Maria, née Voit von Rieneck , received the property. She remarried in 1678.

Castle and church in Wiesentheid, steel engraving around 1879 by Johann Poppel

Now the castle came to the new husband, Johann Otto von Dernbach . This promoted his new residence and granted Wiesentheid market rights in 1682 . At the same time the Wiesentheider possessions were removed from the imperial knighthood of the Lords of Dernbach and transformed into imperial direct rule . Wiesentheid thus got its own seat and one vote in the Franconian Counts College.

After the death of Johann Otto von Dernbach in 1697, the castle again passed to the deceased's widow. Maria Eleonore , née von Hatzfeld , also remarried. The new husband was the cousin Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn . When Maria Eleonore died in 1704, her inheritance finally fell to the von Schönborn family . Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn then built the castle in its current form and redesigned it to become the new residence of the counts.

From 1711 to 1720 the castle was rebuilt under the direction of Father Nikolaus Loyson . Count Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn also hired well-known plasterers. So worked Johann Jakob Vogel , Caspar Vogel and Blasius Straub with the construction. In addition, a baroque garden was laid out next to the castle, which was described as one of the most beautiful in Franconia. The park was converted into an English landscape park in 1841.

On September 3, 1806 the rule Wiesentheid was dissolved and its territory was added to the Kingdom of Bavaria . From then on, the Counts of Schönborn were only noblemen , but retained some of the former rights, such as the lower jurisdiction, until 1848. In 1846 the castle hill between the castle and church was demolished. Today the castle is still inhabited by the Counts of Schönborn. Most of the park is open to the public.

The castle is now classified as an architectural monument by the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments. In addition, the underground remains of the previous building are listed as a ground monument. In addition, the Schönborn Castle is the most important element of the Wiesentheid Castle ensemble .

description

The left wing of the castle

The castle presents itself as a square of 60 by 80 meters. The buildings are grouped around a rectangular inner courtyard, while the extensive palace park adjoins to the north. The oldest, angular part in the south-west corner of the complex has a Renaissance volute gable and was built as a so-called "fox building" by the knights Fuchs von Dornheim in the 16th century. It is three-story and so towers above the other parts of the building.

The other wings, on the other hand, date from the early 18th century and are framed by four hooded corner towers. The east side is dominated by the main portal. It is framed by two garden ground floors, which are lined with stone balusters and occupy the entire side. The portal has rusticated flanks and pilasters. A round gable with the alliance coat of arms Schönborn-Dernbach was designed by Heinrich Stahler.

The windows of the facility are mostly divided into two by center posts. They were made with simple, grooved garments . Inside is the so-called ball game hall, which was converted into a chapel in 1765 and now contains a baroque altar by Johann Georg Neßfell . Two late Gothic figures of Saint Barbara and Anna the third were attached to it. Many church implements and paraments have also been preserved in the chapel.

In addition, access to is Herrschaftsloge the first floor significant. It was worked with rich stucco . The hall of mirrors in the north wing of the complex is also significant in terms of art history. It contains important Rococo furnishings that were created around 1730. The Count's Domain Chancellery was housed in the east wing. Their rooms were decorated with stucco and contain some paintings.

literature

• District Administrator and District Council of the District of Kitzingen (Hrsg.): District of Kitzingen . Münsterschwarzach 1984.
• Markt Wiesentheid (Ed.): 300 years of Markt Wiesentheid. 1682-1982 . Wiesentheid 1982.
• Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments . Bavaria I: Franconia . Munich / Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-422-03051-4 .
• Walter Schilling: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . Würzburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-429-03516-7 .
• Karl Treutwein : From Abtswind to Zeilitzheim. History, sights, traditions . Volkach 1987.

Web links

Commons : Schloss Wiesentheid  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Markt Wiesentheid (ed.): 300 years of Markt Wiesentheid . P. 8.
2. ↑ Markt Wiesentheid (ed.): 300 years of Markt Wiesentheid . P. 10.
3. ^ Dehio, Georg: Handbook of German art monuments . P. 1117.
4. ↑ Schilling, Walter: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . P. 311.
5. ^ Dehio, Georg: Handbook of German art monuments . P. 1117.
6. ↑ Schilling, Walter: The castles, palaces and mansions of Lower Franconia . P. 310.

Coordinates: 49 ° 47 ′ 41.2 ″  N , 10 ° 20 ′ 34 ″  E