Castles of Manderscheid

Last updated March 18, 2019

The castles seen from the southwest (left: upper castle; right: lower castle) BurgenManderscheidSSW.jpg — The castles seen from the southwest (left: upper castle; right: lower castle)

Near the Eifel town of Manderscheid are the ruins of two castles, the castles of Manderschied, whose history and location reflect the mediaeval conflict of interest between the Electorate of Trier and the Duchy of Luxembourg.

The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium.

Manderscheid, Bernkastel-Wittlich Place in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Manderscheid is a town in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and also both a climatic spa and a Kneipp spa. Until 1 July 2014, when it became part of the Verbandsgemeinde Wittlich-Land, it was the seat of the former Verbandsgemeinde Manderscheid.

Ruins Remains of human-made architecture

Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once intact have fallen, as time went by, into a state of partial or total disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction. Natural disaster, war and population decline are the most common root causes, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging.

Oberburg

The Oberburg or "Upper Castle" is located on a hilltop that was levelled in order to construct the castle. It had, as can still be seen from the ruins, an almost triangular enceinte and a five-story bergfried or fighting tower that has been made accessible again. From the bergfried there is a clear view of the Niederburg or "Lower Castle", the town of Manderscheid and the countryside of the Lieser valley.

Enceinte is a French term denoting the "main defensive enclosure of a fortification". For a castle this is the main defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls enclosing the position. For a settlement it would be the main town wall with its associated gatehouses and towers and walls.

A bergfried is a tall tower that is typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German-speaking countries and in countries under German influence. Friar describes it as a "free-standing, fighting-tower". Its defensive function is to some extent similar to that of a keep in English or French castles. However, the characteristic difference between a bergfried and a keep is that a bergfried was typically not designed for permanent habitation.

The place name of Manderscheid is first recorded in a deed of gift by Ottos II to the Archbishop of Trier dating to 973. This is not, however, as is often maintained in the literature, the earliest record of the castle, which is first historically known from the feud over St. Maximin's Abbey in front of Trier between Count Henry the Blind of Namur-Luxembourg and Archbishop Albero of Trier, between 1141 and 1146.^[1] The free lords of Manderscheid first appear in 1142 in the list of witnesses in a deed of gift. In the 14th century, the village of Obermanderscheid gave its name to the Electoral Trier Amt of Manderscheid, which existed until the late 18th century. However, the seat of government was not at the castle, but in the Kellerei of the neighbouring village to which Elector Baldwin had granted town rights in 1332 (according to other sources they were granted by King Louis the Bavarian as one of a number of rights). The local estates of the Elector of Trier formed a sort of bridgehead into the surrounding sovereign territory of Luxembourg. In 1673 the castle, still owned by the Electorate, was finally destroyed by French troops.

Archbishop bishop of higher rank in many Christian denominations

In Christianity, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In some cases, such as the Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Church of England, the title is borne by the leader of the denomination. Like popes, patriarchs, metropolitans, cardinal bishops, diocesan bishops, and suffragan bishops, archbishops are in the highest of the three traditional orders of bishops, priests, and deacons. An archbishop may be granted the title or ordained as chief pastor of a metropolitan see or another episcopal see to which the title of archbishop is attached.

Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a US township or county or English shire district.

Baldwin of Luxembourg was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier and Archchancellor of Burgundy from 1307 to his death. From 1328 to 1336, he was the diocesan administrator of the archdiocese of Mainz and from 1331 to 1337 of those of Worms and Speyer. He was one of the most important German prelates of his age.

Today: the ruins of the Oberburg were thoroughly renovated in 1921 by the municipality of Manderscheid, on whose land it stands, and it is open to the public.

Niederburg

Niederburg: 1576 engraving by Frans Hogenberg
Ruins of the Niederburg
Niederburg, 2015 aerial photograph
The Niederburg in winter

Frans Hogenberg (1535–1590) was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker.

Today: the ruins of the Niederburg have been owned since 1899 by the Eifel Club and the club has slowly, but continually, restored them. They may be visited daily during the summer months. Guided group tours are also possible on request. The castle may also be booked for private events such as weddings. On the last weekend in August every year there is a medieval festival at the castle and the adjacent jousting field which receives about 15,000 visitors.^[2]

The Eifel Club is one of the largest rambling clubs in Germany with a membership of 28.000. Its purpose is the "maintenance of local customs, the protection and care of monuments to which it is particularly committed".

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References

↑ c.f. Gesta Alberonis auctore Balderico, in: MGH SS VIII, p. 253
↑ Historisches Burgenfest Manderscheid

External links

Entry on Niederburg Manderscheid in EBIDAT , the databank of the European Castles Institute
Entry on Oberburg Manderscheid in EBIDAT , the databank of the European Castles Institute
Website of the Niederburg
Artist's impression by Wolfgang Braun
1625 illustration by Daniel Meisner: Manderscheidt; Múß, ein bitters Kraútt (Digitized)

Coordinates: 50°5′32″N6°49′6″E / 50.09222°N 6.81833°E / 50.09222; 6.81833

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[1] .f. Gesta Alberonis auctore Balderico, in: MGH SS VIII, p. 253

[2] Historisches Burgenfest Manderscheid