Bandits on the Bergstrasse - Tannenberg Castle

Alois Meixlsperger: Zeichnung Burg Tannenberg 1399

Another site on the Bergstrasse that is worthy of a visit is Tannenberg Castle. Once the home of bandits and brigands, its ruins now speak of past days when knights, lords and ladies inhabited the mountains overlooking the Bergstrasse. The castle makes a nice break when hiking from neighbouring Seeheim and walkers both young and old will enjoying exploring its ruins. The SJ1 circular trail, detailed below,  will take you to the castle and back down to Seeheim in about two hours. 

History

The von Münzenberg Coat of Arms

At the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, the area which is now Seeheim, Bickenbach and Alsbach-Hähnlein belonged to the noble Bickenbach family; however, in about 1150, one of the Bickenbach daughters married a von Münzenberg and thus endowed her husband with the northern part of the von Bickenbach territory, including Seeheim and the Tannenberg. By 1210, Kuno von Münzenberg had begun construction on Tannenberg castle and was already calling himself “von Tannenberg”. His son Ulrich I von Münzenberg continued to fortify and enlarge the castle, due in large part to the subordination of Lorsch Abbey to the Archbishop of Mainz, something that made the nobles in former abbey territory nervous of their own fates.   

Upon the death of Ulrich I, the castle passed to his son, Ulrich II.  When Ulrich II died without heirs, ⅚ of the castle then passed to the husband of his sister, Isengard, who had married Philipp I von Falkenstein.  The remaining ⅙ of the castle was inherited by the husband of his other sister, Adelheid, who had married Reinhard I von Hanau.  Due to splintering caused by inheritance, the Tannenberg castle soon became what is known as a Ganerbenberg, a communally-owned castle, and by 1382 there were seventeen owners, though most did not live at the complex. They were represented instead by their Burgmann, a position similar to that of a castellan in English castles.

In August 1379, eighteen knights met at Tannenberg castle to work out a peace treaty and protective alliance. Included in the party was Werner Kalb von Reinheim, a notorious brigand who was the administrator of the castle at the time, and Count Wilhelm II von Katzenelnbogen.

In 1397, Harmut von Kronberg was a ⅛ share owner and administrator of the castle; however, he decided to further enrich himself by ambushing and robbing traders who passed by on the Bergstrasse. Von Kronberg went so far as to take hostages, whom he held for ransom in the dungeon at the castle.  He became such a nuisance that the town of Wetterau, Frankfurt, the archbishops of Mainz and Trier and the Elector Palatinate banded together to oust him from the Tannenberg. The group laid siege to the castle for 25 days, and heavy fighting commenced. Von Kronberg, along with approximately 60 followers, were able to hold off the first round of attacks with use of primitive firearms.

Steinbüchse Cannon Ball

The tide turned, however, when Von Kronberg’s opponents brought in a large gun known as the Frankfurter Steinbüchse. The gun weighed 3,500 kilograms and required 20 horses to move it.  The Steinbüchse shot cannon balls with a diameter of 50 centimeters each, weighing 170 kilograms. Though the gun inflicted quite a bit of damage to the castle, it was actually a powder explosion that brought down the Bergfried, resulting in Von Kronberg’s capitulation.  This incident was one of the first in which a German castle was damaged to any large extent by artillery. After the siege, the castle was never rebuilt and was then used as a source of stone by the nearby residents.

Castle Layout

The castle’s inner bailey was built on the highest point of Tannenberg mountain and was surrounded by a defensive courtyard, which was strengthened by two bulwarks on the western and southwestern sides. The inner bailey was protected by a ring wall, and, on its northeastern side, by an outer bailey and dry moat.  The entrance to the castle complex was in the south through an outer castle gate, which led into the forecourt.  Access to the inner bailey was from the north by way of  a gate tower in the ringwall.  To the right of this entrance lay a chapel, and to the left were two residential buildings and a freestanding, round Bergfried.

The oldest building in the complex was the so-called “Münzenbergbau”, which at one time was the only building inside the ringwall. There was also a cistern, which was replenished by rainwater. Renovations to many of the structures within the castle complex were carried out by volunteer workers after the Second World War.

Circular Trail to Tannenberg

From the Seeheim town hall, follow the SJ1 sign into the Schlosspark. From there a trail leads into the forest to the Elsbach valley. Turn right, walk down the street a little bit and then turn left to Goldschmidts Park.  The trail will then lead you through the park to the Lufthansa conference hotel. From there, the path leads steeply uphill to the castle ruin of Tannenberg.  In the valley, keep to the right and then change shortly before the Brandhof to the other side of the valley and go up to Heiligenberg Palace. Follow the trail through the park, and then go down to Jugenheim and from there back to Seeheim. The total hike lasts about two hours.

Sources:

“Bibliothek.” Geschütze, www.regionalgeschichte.net/bibliothek/glossar/alphabet/g/geschuetze.html.

“Raubritterburg Auf Dem Tannenberg Zerstört!” Ravanas Plejadium, 10 June 2017, www.plejadium.de/raubritterburg-auf-dem-tannenberg-zerstort/.

Tuerk, Rainer. “Auf Dem Alemannenweg Ein Odenwaelder Wandererlebnis.” Auf Dem Alemannenweg Ein Odenwaelder Wandererlebnis, Brunnengraeber, 2009, pp. 67–69.

Heiligenberg - The Sacred Mountain of the Bergstrasse

Historic View of Heiligenberg

Located just east of Jugenheim and bordered by the Stettbacher Valley in the north and the Balkhäuser Valley to the south, lies the Bergstrasse’s sacred mountain, the Heiligenberg.  The mountain’s distant history and the origin of its name remain lost to time; however, it is believed that a Celtic cult site may have existed on the mountain centuries ago.  Whether the mountain's history is as old as Celtic times may not be certain; however, we can be fairly sure that a fortification and holy sanctuary existed on Heiligenberg at least as far back as Carolingian times from the artefacts which have been found there. At present, there are several impressive sites on Heiligenberg, which make it an interesting spot for a day out, especially if combined with a hike along one of the many nearby trails.

Ruins of the Nunnery

The Nunnery

In the 13th century, Konrad II von Bickenbach and his wife, Rude von Falkenstein, founded a nunnery on Heiligenberg as a place of refuge for noble widows and spinsters.  The nunnery was transferred to Lorsch Abbey in 1413, though in 1461, the Heiligenberg convent (along with Lorsch Abbey's other territories) was mortgaged to the Electoral Palatinate.  The convent, along with all others under the control of the Palatinate, were secularised in 1556 as a result of the reformation.  By the end of the Thirty Years War, the nunnery lay in ruins; however, its vineyards were still being cultivated.

The Court at the Linden Tree (Zentlinde)

The Zentlinde

Just beside the ruins of the nunnery, you’ll see a linden tree that is over 800 years old, a silent witness to the passing centuries on the Heiligenberg.  This tree is one of the oldest in Germany and was the setting for court proceedings at least as far back as 1399, when a defendant was tried there for stealing geese.  It is thought, however, that Heiligenberg was a place of assembly as far back as Frankish times.

The tradition of holding a judicial court under a linden tree is an ancient German tradition, and the tree under which the court is held is called a Zentlinden.  The word “zent” comes from the Latin word for centre, meaning one hundred, as one hundred families were represented by the court.   The meetings were held once a year, mostly in the autumn, under the shade of the linden tree, though special sessions could be called if needed.  The court dealt with issues such as theft, fraud, adultery, witchcraft, brawls and even murder.  A court met under Jugenheim’s Zentlinden until the mid 16th century.

The Palace

Heiligenberg Palace

In 1810, August Konrad Hofmann (later the ennobled Freiherr von Hofmann) received Heiligenberg in appreciation for his service to the Grand Duke of Hessen and laid out an agricultural estate on the mountain.  He built a manor house, outbuildings, orchards and vineyards and even had water piped over from nearby Tannenberg mountain.

Grand Duchess Wilhelmine
von Hessen und bei Rhine

In 1827, the Grand Duchess Wilhelmine von Hessen und bei Rhein bought the estate and used it as a summer residence, and eventually she and her husband, Grand Duke Ludwig II, converted the manor house into a palace.  In keeping with the romantic spirit of the age, the Grand Duchess kept the convent as an artistic ruin and had the grounds around the palace laid out in the style of an English garden.

From 1856, the couple’s third son, Prince Alexander von Hessen und bei Rhein, and his wife, Princess Julia von Battenberg, who were the founders of the noble Battenberg/Mountbatten line, made further renovations to Heiligenberg palace and used it as their summer residence. The palace was a regular gathering place for nobility, including the Tsars Alexander II, Alexander III and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife, Alexandra (from the house of Hessen und bei Rhein and granddaughter to Queen Victoria).

Prince Louis Alexander
von Battenberg

In 1920, the couple’s son, Prince Louis Alexander von Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten), having gotten into financial difficulties after leaving his career in the British navy, sold the palace to two investors, Dr. Theodor Görges and his son in-law, Heinrich Prince of Hohenleuben. By 1930, however, the palace was in the hands of the State of Hessen as payment for a tax debt.  The building was then used by a National Socialists’ girls association, as a home economics school and, until the end of World War II, as a hospital for contagious diseases.  After the Second World War, the interior of the palace was renovated and housed various schools and institutions, most recently a teacher training institute that existed until 2011.  From 2012, it’s been used as a wedding venue, concerts and art exhibition hall.

The Russian House

A half-timbered house was built near the palace in 1870 to accommodate the servants of Tsar Alexander II and his wife Marie, who were regular visitors to Heiligenberg.  This was known as the Russian House, and it later served as a residential building.  Left to fall into decay, it wasn’t renovated until 2010.  The Russian House now serves as a museum shop and information centre, and here you can find information and guided tours about the history of Heiligenberg, the Battenberg family and their connections to many royal European houses in German, English and Russian.  The palace also has a restaurant that serves both light fare and hot meals.

The Mausoleum and Golden Cross

The Mausoleum

Near the nunnery ruins, the Battenberg family built a mausoleum for Prince Alexander and his wife Julia in 1902 and later this became a memorial chapel to the House of Battenberg.  It also includes a memorial for Louis Mountbatten (Prince Alexander’s grandson), who was murdered by the IRA in 1979.   Beside the mausoleum, is a 2.4 meter high golden cross, erected in 1866 to commemorate the Grand Duchess Wilhelmine von Hessen und bei Rhine.   

The Church

A bit further down the mountain, just above Jugenheim, Konrad II von Bickenbach erected a Catholic chapel (11 x 8 meters) in 1263. The small structure was rebuilt and expanded in 1480 with the

addition of the side aisles, a church bell, a statue of Archangel Michael and a baptismal font, which is now in the nunnery ruins at the top of the mountain. After the reformation, sometime between 1539 - 46, the church became Evangelical, and in 1575, the tower was raised with the construction of a new roof.  The chapel survived the Thirty Years War relatively unscathed, however, the organ was destroyed.

In 1856, Prince Alexander sponsored major renovations to the Evangelical church on Heiligenberg, including a new sacristy and prince’s chair.  The organ was also moved over the entrance to the church. The Russian Tzarina at the time,  Maria, donated precious ceremonial covers of red velvet with gold embroider to the church and two heavy silver plates.

Address:	Auf dem Heiligenberg 8 , 64342 Seeheim-Jugenheim +49 (0) 06257 999 34 90 info@heiligenberg-jugenheim.de  http://www.heiligenberg-jugenheim.de/
Opening Hours:	The Russia House: Winter: January Closed From November 1st - March 31st Saturday and Sunday 12:00 - 16:30 Summer: April 1 - October 31 Saturday 14:00 - 17:00 Sunday 12:00 - 17:00 The Restaurant: Thursday to Sunday 10:00 - 22:00 The Grounds: Open year round
Fees:	There is no charge to visit the grounds of the Heiligenberg.  See the website or contact the palace administration for fees associated with tours and events.
Getting There:	There is no bus service to the top of Heiligenberg.  You can either walk up from Jugenheim or take a private vehicle. There is a parking lot behind the castle.

Sources:

“Ev. Gemeindehaus Jugenheim.” Evang. Gemeindenetz Nördliche Bergstraße, www.ev-gemeindenetz-nb.de/home/jugenheim/ev-bergkirche-jugenheim/.

Tuerk, Rainer. “Auf Dem Alemannenweg Ein OdenwäLder Wandererlebnis.” Auf Dem Alemannenweg Ein Odenwaelder Wandererlebnis, Brunnengraeber, 2009, pp. 67–69.

“Willkommen Auf Dem Heiligenberg.” Stiftung Heiligenberg Jugenheim, www.heiligenberg-jugenheim.de/.

Alsbach Castle - Another of the Bergstrasse's Medieval Jewels

Another castle on the Bergstrasse that hosts medieval events and makes for an enjoyable family outing is Alsbach Castle, which lies on a 256 meter high ridge below the Melibokus summit above the town of Alsbach.  

History

Alsbach Castle was a siege castle built around 1235 by Gottfried I von Bickenbach and called Bickenbach Castle.  The Bickenbachs were a minor noble family from the Odenwald. This more-substantial structure was probably the successor to an earlier motte and bailey castle located on nearby Weiler Hill and was built to protect the family’s territorial interests after Lorsch Abbey became a subordinate of the Archbishopric of Mainz.

The Bickenbach
Coat of Arms 

The castle was in the hands of the Bickenbach family until the 14th century when the castle’s ownership was divided amongst six different owners, resulting in it becoming a Ganerbenburg.  This word, which means a castle that is communally owned, is not usually translated from German as there is no English equivalent.  

In 1463, the free city of Frankfurt, in retaliation for a robbery committed against one of the communal owners, overran the castle, plundered it and burnt it to the ground. It was quickly rebuilt, and soon after, in 1488, one of the owners, Erasmus of Erbach set about buying out the other owners, and by 1502, was in possession of ⅚ of the titles of ownership.  During the War of Succession of Landshut ( an inheritance dispute between the lines of Bavaria - Munich and Bavaria-Landshut) the Landgrave of Hessen, Wilhelm I, took the castle in 1504 without a fight, and it remained, thereafter, in Hessen hands.  

During the Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648), the castle was used by the local population as a place of refuge, though afterwards it was abandoned, fell into disrepair and was used as a source of building stones for other structures.   It was not until the end of the 19th century that the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt secured the ruins, and after World War II, restoration began in earnest.  The castle was then renamed Alsbacher Schloss.

Today, the castle is maintained by the association,  Historischer und kultureller Förderverein Schloss Alsbach e. V.,  and offers a variety of events events including medieval festivals, wine festivals, arts and crafts markets and historical presentations.  

Castle Layout
In the first phase of construction, the inner bailey was created by an impressive Bergfried,

Historical Reconstruction of Castle

19.3 meters high and 11 meters in diameter,  the ring wall and a wide and deep dry moat to the south. In the 14th century, the complex was extended by a quadrangular outer bailey and a defensive courtyard around the entire castle, which was reinforced by two flanking, rounded watchtowers on the southeast and southwest sides of the wall.  Access to the outer bailey was protected by a moat, a drawbridge and a gate tower with an external and internal gate. If an attacker had succeeded in opening the outer gate and penetrating into the gate hall, he could be pushed back by pouring boiling pitch or water through openings in the ceiling.  If he managed to get through the inner gate, he would then be exposed to those defending the ring wall. The entrance to the inner bailey was also protected by a gate, arrow slits, a murder hole and drawbridge.

Today, it’s  not so difficult to access Alsbach Castle.  Visitors are invited to tour the castle complex, refresh themselves at the castle restaurant and enjoy one of the many events hosted at the site during seasons of temperate weather.  Alsbach Castle is well-known for the many events held there, including the arts and crafts market on Whitsun, complete with knights, jugglers, artisans and craftsmen. Other popular events are the children's knight festival and the castle’s wine festival.

Address:	Zum Schloss, 64665 Alsbach http://www.schloss-alsbach.org
Opening Times:	Restaurant and Castle Complex Summer (May to September): Wednesdays to Sundays and on holidays from 11:00 am to at least 21:00 hours Winter (from October to April):  Wednesdays to Sundays  from 11:00 am until at least 19:00 hours. Monday and Tuesday are rest days.
Fee:	Free, donations are requested when viewing the tower
Getting There:	Tram stop at Hinkelstein, line 6 and 8 (about 30 minutes walk to the castle). Motorway A5, exit Seeheim-Jugenheim to Alsbach, turn left at the roundabout, Bahnhofstraße, then on to  Kirchstraße, follow the signs to the castle. Motorway A67, exit Gernsheim - Hähnlein - Alsbach, just above the two roundabouts, take Bahnhofstraße, then Kirchstrasse, follow the signs to the castle. Address for Navigation Systems: 64665 Alsbach-Hähnlein, zum Schloss (Kirchstraße)

Auerbach Castle - Take a Trip Back to the Middle Ages

A trip to Auerbach Castle will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back into the Middle Ages, especially if you visit during one of the many medieval festivals, knight’s tournaments or themed dinner shows which are a common occurrence throughout much of the year.  A visit to the castle, voted the most popular building in Hessen in 2009, is free and open to the public and makes for an exciting day out for the whole family.

Castle History

The Lorsch Codex

In 773, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, donated territory, which included the land where Auerbach village and the castle now lie, to Lorsch Abbey, and it is from around 784 that we find the first mention of the town of Auerbach in the Lorsch Codex (manuscript record from Lorsch Abbey) where it is called “Urbach.”  After this, no mention can be found of Auerbach until 1135 when the marriage of Hildegard von Hennenberg brought the town, along with other territory along the Bergstrasse, into the possession of Count Heinrich II von Katzenelnbogen. The Katzenelnbogen family were a noble family whose origins were in the Rhine Gorge at Rheinfels Castle at St. Goar. From there, the Katzenelnbogens enlarged their territory to include areas south of the Main River, along the Bergstrasse and in the northern Odenwald.  

A Plaque at the Castle Shows
the Katzenelnbogen Coat of Arms

It can be assumed from the historical records that Auerbach Castle was built in 1222 by Diether IV von Katzenelnbogen.  The castle, built atop the strategically-important Urberg Mountain,  would not only have provided a means of defence against invasion, but would have also secured the Katzenelnbogen family’s position as toll collectors along their section of the important north-south trade route, which included the Bergstrasse.  In the late 13th century, the castle was enlarged and reinforced, and it remained in the possession of the Katzenelnbogens until 1479 when it, along with all of the family’s territory in the area, passed to the Landgraviate of Hessen.

By the 17th century, many of the castle’s defensive features, as well as its strategic importance, had become largely obsolete and could offer little protection during the subsequent wars which plagued the Bergstrasse.  Of the Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648), Count Mansfeld, a commander and mercenary during the war said,

“On the house Auerberg (Auerbach castle) nothing more, but everything was

burnt and taken away in 1634 by the soldiers.”

In 1674, during the Franco-Dutch War, the castle was again set on fire, this time by an army under the command of French Marshal Turenne. Unfortunately, residents from the area had fled to the castle seeking protection, and they were killed in the fire.

As a result of the wars in the 17th century, the castle was left to deteriorate, and it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, the then owners, decided to secure the remains. Over the years, various reconstructions and additions have been made to the castle and its compound, and today, Auerbach Castle is a much-loved attraction on the Bergstrasse.  

Site Plan

Layout of Castle
Today, access to the castle is by way of a bridge that crosses over a 10-meter deep trench and a paved path that takes you along the wall of the outer bailey.  This wall was built around 1400 to not only provide additional protection to the castle, but also to provide space for necessary outbuildings and allow for tournament games.  These outbuildings were in the place where you now see a restaurant and other guest facilities.  The outer wall runs around the castle and is strengthened by two multi-storey towers. From the outer courtyard, a staircase leads up to the gate to the inner courtyard, which was protected by a murder hole and arrow slits.  This courtyard runs around the inner bailey and is integrated into the bulwark on the east side of the defensive walls.

Entrance to the Inner Bailey

Upon entering the inner bailey, you’ll notice that much of the original construction, which filled the entire width of the western wall is no longer present.  The battlements you see overhead, as well as the window openings, were installed in the restoration work of the 19th century. The original castle, like that from the 14th century, had a triangular layout. The inner bailey was surrounded by a 10 metre high ring wall that was strengthened on all three corners by a round tower.  The complex contained a chapel, kitchen, palas, an additional residential building, stables and smithy which lay along the wall between the north and south tower. In the curtain wall, between the north and east tower lay the former entrance, which was sheltered by a round Bergfried.

In 1356, a large earthquake shook the Bergstrasse and Rhine Plain, causing the collapse of the Bergfried.  The castle was reconstructed in the second half of the 14th century, possibly due in part to the earthquake.  The reconstruction was based on strategic considerations, with the increasing use of firearms requiring altered defence measures. Lightweight defensive towers could not withstand an onslaught by cannon balls, therefore, the eastern side of the defensive wall was converted into a polygonal bastion with 5 meter thick outer walls. The tower was replaced by a platform with battlements on which cannons could be installed. The Bergfried had become superfluous and was not rebuilt, the two round towers on the southwest and on the northwest flank taking over the function of watch posts and signalling platforms.  The entrance was moved to the south, protected by the south tower (which contained a dungeon) and an inner courtyard.

Be sure to take a moment to look at the pine tree growing out of curtain wall.  The tree is over 300 years old, though it is only about seven meters high. It ekes out a living by taking in moisture from the air, its growth stunted by lack of water and nutrients.




Address:  Ausserhalb 2, 64625 Bensheim, +49 (0) 6251 72923, Castle Website

Getting There:  Follow hiking trail A1 See Hiking Map. There is no public transportation.  Private vehicles are necessary.  Parking is available at the foot of the castle. 

Opening Times:  The castle is usually open from 10:00 - 17:00, though they may stay open longer when the weather is nice or close earlier if the weather is bad. Check the website for opening times of the guest facilities.

Entrance Fee: Entrance to the castle complex is free. See the website for event fees.

Sources:

“Schloss Auerbach.” Bensheim-Auerbach, Schloss Auerbach, 2012, www.schloesser-hessen.de/schlossauerbach.html.

“Schloss Auerbach.” DenkXweb - Detailansicht, denkxweb.denkmalpflege-hessen.de/28883/.

Schloß Auerbach, 2017, www.schloss-auerbach.de/.

Tuerk, Rainer. Auerbach - Melibokus. Auf Dem Alemannenweg, BrunnengräBer, 2009, pp. 56–61.