Greifenstein Castle (Hesse)

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Greifenstein
Greifenstein
Greifenstein - Burg - gesamt.jpg
General view of the castle
Hesse location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Greifenstein
Germany adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Greifenstein
Coordinates 50°37′14″N8°17′40″E / 50.6206°N 8.2944°E / 50.6206; 8.2944 Coordinates: 50°37′14″N8°17′40″E / 50.6206°N 8.2944°E / 50.6206; 8.2944
Type hill castle
CodeDE-HE
Height441 m above  sea level (NHN)
Site information
Conditionruins, partially preserved
Site history
Builtvor 1160
Garrison information
Occupantsnobility, counts
Greifenstein - excerpt from the Topographia Hassiae by Matthaus Merian, 1655 Greifenstein De Merian Hassiae.jpg
Greifenstein – excerpt from the Topographia Hassiae by Matthäus Merian, 1655

Greifenstein Castle (German : Burg Greifenstein) lies in the eponymous village of Greifenstein in the county of Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Middle Hesse, Germany. It is a geo point in the national geopark of Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus.

Contents

Location

The hill castle stands on a hill in the Dill Westerwald and has a good view over the Dill valley. At 441 m (1,447 ft) above sea level (NN) it is the highest castle in the county of Lahn-Dill. The castle is a highly visible landmark. It is signed from the A 45 motorway.

History

The hill castle was first recorded in 1160. In 1298 it was destroyed by the counts of Nassau and Solms, as was Lichtenstein, which was not rebuilt. In 1315 it was enfeoffed by the House of Habsburg (Albert I had purchased the castle from Kraft of Greifenstein) to the Counts of Nassau. [1] [2] After having several owners, it had become dilapidated by 1676 and was then converted into a Baroque schloss by William Maurice of Solms-Greifenstein. After the counts moved to Braunfels in 1693 the site fell into ruins.

In 1969 the castle ruins were gifted to the Greifenstein Society, who have since looked after the preservation of the site, which is open to the public and incorporates a restaurant. The castle is a heritage site in the meaning of the Hessian Monument Conservation Act. Since 1995, its restoration has also been supported by the Federal Republic of Germany because it has been classified as a Monument of National Significances (Denkmal von nationaler Bedeutung).

Description

The circular walk across the castle terrain leads to a gaol with torture implements, weapons and a wine cellar, living rooms and a twin-towered bergfried accessible on a spiral staircase. On the pointed roof of the Brother Tower (Bruderturm) there is a gryphon (German: Greif, a reference to the name of the castle) as a weather vane. In the tower itself is a peal of three bells with strike tones of F#1, A1 and C2.

Attractions include the Village and Castle Museum (Dorf- und Burgmuseum), one of the few double chapels in Germany. The Chapel of St. Catherine was built in 1462 as a fortified church in the Gothic style. When the castle was converted into the Baroque style the castle courtyard was filled with earth with the result that, today, the chapel is below ground level. It contains frescoes and arrow slits as well as casemates with vaulted ceilings and fighting rooms. The Baroque church built above the fortified chapel from 1687 to 1702 is richly decorated with stuccos and is of the Italian Early Baroque period. Upper and lower churches are linked by a staircase.

Walks around the castle and an educational herb garden make the site a popular destination.

Related Research Articles

Westerwald

The Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhenish Massif. Its highest elevation, at 657 m above sea level, is the Fuchskaute in the High Westerwald.

Lahn-Dill is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Siegen-Wittgenstein, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Gießen, Wetteraukreis, Hochtaunuskreis, Limburg-Weilburg, Westerwaldkreis.

Limburg-Weilburg is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Lahn-Dill, Hochtaunuskreis, Rheingau-Taunus, Rhein-Lahn, Westerwaldkreis.

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Braunfels Town in Hesse, Germany

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Greifenstein Municipality in Hesse, Germany

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Middle Hesse

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Lichtenstein Castle (Greifenstein)

Lichtenstein Castle is a levelled spur castle on the hill of Burgberg Lichtenstein, 315 m above sea level (NN), near the Greifenstein village of Holzhausen on the old military High Road, that ran from Frankfurt via Wetzlar to Cologne. The castle site is situated to the north of, and above, the Ulmbach Reservoir in the Hessian county of Lahn-Dill-Kreis.

Schloss Weilburg

Schloss Weilburg is a Baroque schloss in Weilburg, Hesse, Germany. It is located on a spur above the river Lahn and occupies about half of the area of the Old Town of Weilburg. It contains the Hochschloss, built between 1530 and 1572, which is one of the best-preserved Renaissance palaces in Hesse. In the 1700s, the palace was expanded by John Ernst, Count of Nassau-Weilburg, and his builder, Julius Ludwig Rothweil. The buildings and gardens now belong to the Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen, and they can be visited as a museum on guided tours. Parts of the palace are venues for the music festival Weilburger Schlosskonzerte, which is named after the palace.

References

  1. ↑ http://regesten.regesta-imperii.de/regshow.php?pk=44587&bandanzeige= [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ http://regesten.regesta-imperii.de/regshow.php?pk=44588&bandanzeige= [ dead link ]

Literature

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