#Hardenburg #Medieval #Castle #Ruins #Palatinate #Germany
Built in the 13th century by the Counts of Leiningen, Hardenburg is located near Bad Dürkheim in the Palatinate. It had dubious owners, withstood sieges and houses an interesting museum.
We will tell you its exciting history in 5 minutes.
The castle on Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/kf...
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The Hardenburg Castle is situated on a 200 meter long mountain nose above the valley of the Isenach.
Its origin goes back to the Counts of Leiningen. In 1205, they became patrons of the Limburg monastery, which is located only two kilometers from the present site of the Hardenburg. They used their position to illegally build a castle on land belonging to the monastery. This happened around 1205 or in the 1220s, depending on the source. The monastery was financially compensated by the counts only in 1249.
Around 1512, Emperor Maximilian I imposed the imperial ban on Count Emich IX of Leiningen for supporting the French king. As a result, Elector Ludwig V of the Palatinate laid siege to Hardenburg Castle. Emich surrendered the castle to him before it could be damaged. Thereupon he was banished. In 1518, after protracted negotiations, the imperial ban was lifted. A year later the family got the castle back. Emich IX now handed over the reigns of the shire to his sons Emich X and Engelhard. The castle was now fortified even more strongly against enemy gunfire and thus offered protection to the inhabitants of the surrounding villages during the Thirty Years' War.
Hardenburg Castle was expanded into a residential castle and remained the headquarters of the Leininger family until 1725. During the Palatinate War of Succession, its fortifications were destroyed. Otherwise, the castle survived unscathed. In the course of 1725, the counts finally moved their residence to nearby Dürkheim Castle.
In 1794, French revolutionary troops devastated Hardenburg Castle and set it on fire. The entire magnificent interior decoration was destroyed.
After that, the castle was not rebuilt and gradually fell into disrepair.
The castle, which is still very impressive even as a ruin, has a base area of 180 by 90 meters. The visitor can expect enormous turrets, stair towers and many living rooms, some of which still have window surrounds and elegant portals, which testify to the former splendor. The huge cellars with their ribbed vaults dating back to 1509 are, in contrast to the residential wing, still completely preserved.
From 2008 to 2012, extensive renovation work took place in Hardenburg Castle. In the process, a museum was set up in the gatehouse, in which numerous archaeological finds are exhibited. Among them are rings and other jewelry, cutlery, fragments of richly decorated vessels, the handle of a saber and many other artifacts.
There is also a film presentation and a multimedia tour. On the west bulwark there is now a viewing platform, from which you can get a good view of the castle and the valley.
30 сен 2024