Harderwykenburg

P3

The Harderwykenburg in Leer, Ostfriesland

The Harderwykenburg on Harderwykensteg in neutral with over 500 years of the oldest surviving castles of East Friesland and the oldest house in the town of Leer. Traditionally Harderwykenburg is also referred to as "first house Space ". The Harderwykenburg has stood for over 220 years in the private possession of the manor Innhausen and Knyphausen.

History

In the 14th and 15th centuries acquired the local " chiefs " to the princes in power and importance. They went forth in the rule from the Great peasantry. In the late 15th century were single leading chiefs, as applicable, for example, Enno Cirksenas in 1454, the title of count. Thus, the transition from the Chieftain took to count time. To cement this new claim to power, the chiefs were " stone houses " build. These were often the economic and administrative center of the power range.

The history of building phase of the stone houses of the East Frisian chieftains can be divided into two sections: In the 14th and early 15th century were called " High Houses " ( " the Towers " ) built in the late 15th century so-called " long houses" ( " Saalbauten " ), which already bore a recognizable representative character, are preferred.

The Focke castle as Vorläuferbau

1421 was Focko Ukena, then aspiring chief of Leer, the Focke built castle in the style of " the House ". In 1431 Focko Ukena of his in the " Frisian Freedom League " organized adversaries under the leadership of the chief Enno Cirksenas was expelled and the Focke castle was completely destroyed. Other East Frisian chieftains and farmers, it was in their ownership under threat as Ukena was rumored as landowners, to stand with pirates in the league and he had also defeated his Frisian adversary under Ocko tom Brook and the Archbishop of Bremen and the Counts of Oldenburg.

The beginnings of Harderwykenburg ( Unkenburg )

Around 1470 was the chief Leeraner Hajo toads, grandson and son Focko Ukenas Bolo Ripperdas, on a few hundred meters from the ruined castle Focke remote Geest hill the Unkenburg build in the style of " the House ". The Unkenburg is so far represents a special case in that it is one of the latest examples of a " High House ".

The core of the Unkenburg was the characteristic three-storey tower: With its gable he reached on an area of ​​11.17 mx 8.15 m, a height of about 16.20 m. The up to 3 m thick masonry is composed of an inner core cast wall of mortar and broken bricks and an outer irregular two-to four-layer shell masonry ( 1.10 m - 1.20 m thick) of brick together. These stones, which are classified as typical " monastery stones " because of their dimensions ( 28.5 cm x 14.5 cm) are interconnected over limestone mortar.

The basement wearing a flat cap vaults. Originally, there was also a well site. The first floor served as a store, in the habitable second floor sat the administration. The Unkenburg had a memory function in the first place and was only used in the case of defense as living space. Which emerged from the upper peasantry lived chiefs usually continue in their farmhouses.

For the case of defense had to build some defensive elements: the Tower itself with three meters thick exterior walls and excavated in 1573 moat. Basement and first floor were not connected to each other and had separate entrances, the first floor was accessible via a retractable wooden structure. This should, inter alia, be countered the danger of " Ausräucherns ".

The Harderwykenburg in modern times

The husband of ARMGARD toads, daughter of Hajo IV toads and heiress of Unkenburg Dietrich Harderwyk was. This built in the 17th century, the Unkenburg from a memory castle into a residential castle around. So he added the tower, a single-story U-shaped attachment, took the tower in front of a room layout and designed the straight gable to a simple Renaissance gable. The marked change in her appearance now Unkenburg bares the name Harderwykenburg.

The year 1788 represents a turning point in the history of Harderwykenburg dar. Carl- Gustav Freiherr zu Innhausen and Knyphausen, Prussian chamberlain in Berlin and younger brother of Lütetsburg Count Edzard Moritz, auctioned the castle of the family of shillings to the membership in the " Knighthood " get - college in East Frisia. The stone coat of arms on the north side of the Harderwykenburg is the family crest of the family of shillings. The stone house, which is not a real castle, is now privately owned.

Owners in 1788 were:

Between 1860 and 1890, the elongated single storey cultivation by the present two-storey extension has been replaced. In addition, the Harderwykenburg received the characteristic gray plaster. The moat was filled up. During the Second World War, the Harderwykenburg served as a day care center; for two smaller shelter were created on the site. In many years of work changed Dodo Freiherr zu Innhausen and Knyphausen the former kitchen garden in a park with a varied flora to. The tree inventory is partially protected.

The Harderwykenpark is part of the "Route of garden culture " and the castle is part of the German Fen Route.