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| Marksburg | |
|---|---|
| Braubach | |
 | |
| Type | Medieval castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | German Castles Association (DBA) |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1117 |
The Marksburg (originally called the Braubacher Schloss) is a fortress above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The fortress was built about 1170 and is named after St. Mark. It is the only German castle of the Middle Rhine that was not destroyed in the Thirty Year's War [1]. It is one of the principal sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Rhine Gorge. The fortress was used for protection rather than as a residence for royal families.
Location
Braubach is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate,Germany. The town is located on the right bank of the Rhine river, approximatively 10 kilometers southeast of Koblenz. In addition to Marksburg castle, Braubach has other examples of medieval architecture still intact such as portions of the town wall and half-timbered buildings. The castle itself is located on a hill almost 500 feet above the Rhine river, upstream from where the Mosel joins with the Rhein. The castle can be reached by a 20 minute hiking path through the forest starting from town center of Braubach, or by road.
Construction
It is estimated that the castle was built around 1117, but the first known written reference of the castle is from 1231. The founders of the castle were most likely the Noble Freemen of Brubach. They oversaw the construction of the lower keep in the 12th century. The castle complex was built by the Lords of Eppstein. The complex layout is triangular in shape and was built in a Romanesque style. In the 13th century, the castle was purchased by Count Eberhard II of Katzenelnbogen. The counts of Katzenelnbogen built the Gothic sections of the castle during the 13th through 15th centuries. Count Philip of Katzenelnbogen founded a chapel in the castle, which he dedicated to St. Mark. From this point on, the castle has been called Marksburg after the saint [2] When the last member of the Katzenelnbogen family died the castle was passed to the Landgraves of Hesse. At this point of time the castle was fortified with artillery batteries and ramparts. [3]
Reconstruction
Damage
It is often claimed that Marksburg, is the only German castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed. This is not strictly true.[4] What is generally meant by this is that, the castle was not damaged in the any of the major wars of the 17th through 19th centuries, namely the Thirty Years' War, the Seven Years' War, the French Revolution, or the Napoleonic wars. In fact, the castle was damaged multiple times throughout history. In 1705, a kitchen fire severely damaged the castle and the Rhine and North buildings were rebuilt. After 1750, the castle was used as a Hessian state prison. Hesse could not afford to maintain the castle, and the wall, bridges, and castle gates began to age. A 1780 earthquake added to the castle's damage. Later, the castle's main tower was destroyed during the Second World War.
Motivations
Many German castles were destroyed in various wars. Throughout the 17th and 18th century a movement to restore these castles began to grow. Many of the German princes romanticized the Middle Ages, and rebuilt the castles to resemble their fantasies. Many ignored the primary purposes of the castles, generally military and economic, and focussed on the legends of chivalry and crusades. This led to romanticized and often historically inaccurate reconstructions of many of the castles along the Rhine. Marksburg, was one of the few castles of the Middle Rhine which was restored accurately to is state during the Middle Ages. It was perhaps Marksburg relatively good condition in the 18th century that allowed it to be restored so accurately. The princes tended to search for ruined castles that they could completely rebuild to match their fantasies.
In the 19th century, the reconstruction of German castle continued, but now the movement was primarily motivated by nationalism.This was often referred to as the Heimatmovement in Germany. Castles were seen as a possession of the entire country instead of the rich and powerful. In 1866, Prussia gained control of the German Empire. Prussia wished to unite the German peoples. Castles such as Marksburg were restored as symbols of the Prusso-German dynasty's authority. It was also hoped that the castle would help unify the German people and develop popular support for the Prussian regime[citation needed].
Reconstruction process
Castle maintenance began after Prussia gained control of the castle after the Austro-Prussian War. King William I wished for the castle to be maintained so that it could be used as a military lookout, but the castle was not restored at this time. Restoration began in the early 20th century and was led by Emperor William II and Bodo Ebhardt. William II was very interested in everything military and historical, and paid for many new and restored castles. Ebhart believed that if there was documentation of the original appearance of the building such as existed for Marksburg, the building should be reconstructed to resemble the description as closely as possible.
Wilhelm Dilich drew the sketches for the reconstruction. Ebhardt wished to restore the castle so that it resembled the medieval castle as much as possible, and the old sections that were still standing would be indistinguishable from the newly recreated areas. Debris began to be cleared in the summer of 1990. Restoration officially began on May 12, 1901 when William II laid a foundation stone with a time capsule.
Use
The castle was originally built to protect the town of Braubach and to reinforce the customs facilities. The castle's location allowed the Counts of Eppstein to levy tolls on the river traffic. In 1803, the old German empire broke up and the castle was owned by the Duchy of Nassau. They used the castle as a home for disabled soldiers and as state prison. After the Austro-Prussian War 1866 the Duchy of Nassau became a territory of Prussia. It was sold 1900 for a symbolic price of 1000 Goldmark to the German Castle Association,[5] which had been founded a year earlier as a private initiative to preserve castles in Germany. The Marksburg is the head office of this organisation since 1931. Currently, the castle is open for the public to tour
References
- ^ Lents, PJ (1992). Our Global Village - Germany: A Cultural Resource Guide. Lorenz Educational Press. p. 3. ISBN 9781558632677. Retrieved April 2011.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Baedeker, Karl (1882). The Rhine from Rotterdam to Constance: handbook for travellers. p. 101. Retrieved April 2011.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "A Journey through 800 Years of Castle History". Retrieved April 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Taylor, Robert R. (1998). The castles of the Rhine: recreating the Middle Ages in modern Germany. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. ISBN 9780889202689. Retrieved April 2011.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ MS-visucom.de
External links
