Altena Castle

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Altena Castle after the reconstruction of the west wall

The Altena Castle is located on a mountain spur of Klusen mountain in the town of Altena at the Lenne in the Mark Brandenburg district in North Rhine -Westphalia.

The spur castle was built according to legend, in the early 12th century by the Counts of Berg.

History

To 1108, the brothers Adolf and Everhard should have received from mountain by Emperor Henry V for faithful service a piece of land in Brandenburg Sauerland. On the mountain Wulfseck they built a castle, which they initially Wulfeshagen, later named Altena. This is one of at least three legends establishing the county Altena or to the emergence of the castle.

After the acquisition of Oberhof Mark near Hamm in 1198 the Counts of Altena took their main residence in the local castle and Mark called later " Counts of Mark ". The ancestral castle of Altena was occupied only temporarily by them and was only bailiff seat since 1392.

Count Engelbert III. by Mark gave the small settlement at the foot of the mountain on December 20, 1367, civil liberties (including self-government and customs clearance).

1450 promised Evert of Dael the knight Wilhelm von Nesselrode to Ehrenstein means bodily oath, the Altena Castle as often and when he would call for it to deliver again. 1455 burned down the castle of Altena. Subsequently, the former official residence of the bailiff was built which allegedly only makeshift.

In Brandenburg- Prussian era, the castle became a garrison. In 1771 she was sold to the application of a poor and work house to the city. Next was here from 1766 to 1811, the Criminal Court of the County of Mark plus prison. The now very dilapidated castle of Altena should be built in 1834 according to the ideas of Ludwig von Vincke Oberpräsident again. The plans of the building inspector appointed knights were completed in 1835. Due to financial difficulties, but this was not implemented. The Order of St. John taught in 1856 in the buildings of a hospital one, which existed until 1906.

In the spring of 1906, the castle märkische association was founded at the initiative of former district administrator Fritz Thomée, had set himself the task of the castle in 1909 to build up to the 300 - year celebration of belonging to the County of Mark again to Prussia. By 1914 the castle was renewed the bailey and the lower gate building, designed by architect Georg Frentzen up on. In the meantime, there was a heated discussion on the modalities of reconstruction, in the district and the architect prevail against architectural and art historian. The last work was completed in 1918.

In 1914 Richard Schirrmann taught at the castle, a first permanent youth hostel in the world. The original rooms are now a museum. The Youth Hostel, which is operated by the German Youth Hostel Association (DJH ), located on the lower court. This site was inaugurated in 1934.

The castle was in 1943 in the possession of the former district of Altena. Today, the castle is the town's landmark and main attraction for tourists from all over the world. The entrance ticket to the castle also applies for the nearby German Wire Museum.

Every year on the first weekend in August at the castle and in the town a big medieval festival instead.

Part of the castle is used as a restaurant. The large mural in the ballroom is based on medieval styles from several eras of chivalry.

Currently, a castle elevator will be built as part of a grant project. This will result in completion of the courtyard from 60 meters vertically through the rock in the Klusenberg and there open over an approximately 95 meter long tunnel passage at the foot of the mountain in Lennestrasse. A planned experience course is intended here to take visitors from the pedestrian area through a tunnel to the elevator. The construction of the castle elevator is currently estimated at a cost of 5.7 million euros, of which 5.12 million euros will be funded by the state of NRW. In April 2014, the work should be completed at the castle elevator.

Museums

In the buildings of the castle many exhibition rooms to visit. The Museum of the County of Mark, the World Youth Hostel Museum, märkische Forge Museum and the German hiking Museum joined forces to museums Burg Altena.

For the support of the castle, the " Society of Friends of Altena Castle " that the magazine publishes The Märker together with the county involved.