To be privately owned
CastleKatzenelnbogen
Katzenelnbogen Castle
Katzenelnbogen Castle is a castle in the town of Katzenelnbogen in the Rhein-Lahn district in Rhineland-Palatinate. At the time of the County of Katzenelnbogen's formation, the castle was its center and gave its name to the noble family.
The castle was built starting in 1094 on the Vogt's estate of Bleidenstadt Monastery by Vogt Diether I, monastery Vogt of Prüm in the Eifel, and his son Heinrich I. Heinrich II grew up here and at Stahleck Castle together with his stepbrother Hermann von Stahleck and was elevated to Count by King Konrad III in 1138. Hermann von Stahleck married King Konrad III's only sister, Gertrud von Schwaben, and became Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1142.
With the division treaty of 1260, the House of Katzenelnbogen split into an older line (represented by Diether V) and a younger line (represented by Eberhard I), with the older line receiving more possessions in the Lower County and the younger line receiving more possessions in the Upper County.
The design of the first castle complex can no longer be determined today, as a complete new construction took place in 1371 under Wilhelm II (older line). Even before their extinction in 1479 under Philipp I, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen gave up their ancestral castle as a residence. As heirs, the Landgraves of Hesse, with Heinrich III, became the new lords of Katzenelnbogen Castle. In 1540, the complex burned down. In 1584 (by the Lords of der Leyen) and 1613, new buildings were erected, which today give the old castle the appearance of a palace.
After the Second World War, Katzenelnbogen Castle temporarily served as an orphanage. Later it was converted into a restaurant and hotel. Currently (as of May 2008), the complex is unmanaged.
Origin of the Name+
There are two versions regarding the derivation of the name Katzenelnbogen.
- The name Katzenelnbogen comes from Latin Cattimelibocus. The Chatti were the tribe of today's Hessians. Melibocus was originally used in antiquity (e.g., by Ptolemy) to refer to a mountain such as the Melibocus or the Brocken. The word therefore means something like "Hessian Mountain."
- The settlement of Chazo at the bend (elbow) of the Dörsbach (stream flowing through the town of Katzenelnbogen)
Complex+
The castle grounds, measuring approximately 50 by 100 meters, are located on a rock plateau above Katzenelnbogen, enclosed by a curtain wall.
Only remnants of the medieval spur castle from the 11th century remain. The formerly built-up interior is now open, as the medieval buildings were largely destroyed in the fire of 1540. The well on the east side of the grounds in the area of the former core castle is preserved. Also preserved are the late Gothic gate tower on the west side of the complex and large parts of the castle wall.
The current main building of the castle, often also referred to as a "palace," was erected in 1584 on the southeast side of the grounds by Enders von der Leyen. It is a simple rectangular building with three stories. The upper floor was constructed in half-timbered style and provided with an octagonal oriel window on the southeast corner. The building was redesigned again in 1779 and received its current appearance.
The "von Mosbach House," also built in 1584, and the "Landgrave Moritz House," erected in 1613, are not preserved. The castle chapel on the south side of the grounds was demolished in 1794.
The neck ditch on the east side is largely filled in; today, the hotel's parking lot is located here.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://www.wehrbauten.de/thread.php?threadid=932
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 50.2681, 7.9765