Osterburg (Groothusen)

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The Osterburg is a high medieval castle in Groot Husen, in the municipality of Krummhoern, in the district of Aurich in Lower Saxony.

Location

The castle is located at the eastern end of the East Frisian village in a partially wooded park-like. It is the only remaining of the original three forts of the town.

Local history of the castle

Groothusen was the meeting of the Emsigerlandes in the 13th and 14th centuries. At the same time it was a suburb of the four sub-districts based Consul ( secular power ) and the Dean ( ecclesiastical authority ). Originally both functions were in the hands of a family in a stone house (castle ) resided. This castle was in all likelihood next to the church at the west end on the mound and is to be regarded as a forerunner of today's Westerburg site. The Westerburg was considered the main castle of the town, it is the " principals erfhues ".

At the latest with the sharing of the management functions on two families was also a second castle - the Osterburg. Here lived the dean. This castle occupied the other end of the mound to the east. In a third phase, the Middelsteburg, also called was " Rederts strong house".

Because of the involvement of the local chiefs to the raids of the Vitalienbrüder on the Hanseatic Osterburg 1400 and 1435 Westerburg was destroyed by the hamburger. First, the Westerburg was rebuilt after 1452, but outside of the mound in the southwest. The site remained undeveloped Osterburg to 1490. In the not destroyed, but today heavily modified Middelsteburg there are still parts of the 14th century

Architectural History

The Osterburg is surrounded by a graft, in a park with an old linden alley. The oldest part is a long, two-storey hall building, which was built around 1490 by the chief family Beningaburg. Around 1550, a short side wing was added to the northeast corner of the stone house. 1707 compared to a Gulf - business section built so that the character of a three-wing building was built. The short east wing was extended to 1790. 1891 hall was built out on the courtyard side of the stone house. The pulled-down canopy roof hides the two storeys of the stone house that is visible only from the back. Around 1910, the extension of the east wing was rebuilt. 2008, the east wing was rebuilt in the front part again.

The castle is now in the possession of the descendants of the chief family Beningaburg and can be visited by telephone arrangement in group tours. The castle houses a significant collection of cultural and art historical attractions, including furniture, weapons, a library, objects altostfriesischer culture as well as a remarkable collection of paintings of ancestral portraits spanning five centuries.