Bourscheid Castle

The Bourscheid Castle is the ruins of a medieval hilltop castle about two kilometers below the same place Burscheid in the north of Luxembourg.

Location

The castle stands on a rocky outcrop surrounded by the sour. Its highest point is 379.8 meters above sea level. Originally intended as Fliehburg for the inhabitants of the village of the same name, the castle became a strategic military point of the Count of Luxembourg due to its location.

History

For the first time Bourscheid is mentioned in 1095 as the property of Bertram of Bourscheid. Bertram was bailiff of the abbey of Echternach and managed the castle on their behalf. The first document describes the deposition of Bertram because he " has spread its wings too much ." Some written sources and the archaeological excavations in the years 1986 to 1992 indicate that the stone castle was built around the year 1000 instead of an older wooden fortifications. Until the year 1512 the lords of Bourscheid owners of the castle were. They were found at the most senior posts in the retinue of the Count of Luxembourg.

Bernhard IV inherited the rule of Bourscheid Bourscheid his two sisters Mary of the pond to Nickenich and Wilhelma from New Castle. Thus possessed numerous Mitherren the families Metternich Zievel, Zant of Merl, Ahr and Schwartz Castle dominion. 1626 united Hans Gerhard von Metternich all the shares in his hand and passed it three more generations of his family to his great grandson, Hugo Wolf, Franz von Metternich sold in 1753, the rule for financial reasons to Demoiselle de Constance Mathelin de Rolley. Metternich's niece Maria Theresa von Eltz - Rodendorf complained against this act of purchase, after which you were a total of 1762 4/5 awarded. 1795 Maria Theresa was able to acquire the remaining fifth. Her son Franz Joseph Ignaz Schenk von Nepomuk Schmidtburg left after the death of his mother's domination auction in 1812. After the auction fell into the system until the Luxembourg government bought up the ruins in 1972 and redeveloped.

Plant

The castle walls enclose an area of ​​12,000 square meters. The castle is so geographically the largest in Luxembourg.

The castle is divided into an upper castle, lower castle and bailey. The upper castle was built in 1000-1300. It contains the imposing keep, the great hall building with the Knights' Hall and the apartments of the Lords of Bourscheid, the kitchen and the chapel, which was built in the 17th century for the last time. Today, in addition to the keep and the cellar under the palace, only a few ruins remain.

In the 14th century the lower castle was extended and received a double ring wall with kennel and six towers. In 1384, after completion of the new curtain wall and the so-called Stolzemburger house was built. The Gothic cellar of this house could be preserved in its original condition and can still be visited. Two other Burgmannen houses only exist as ruins.

Since 1972, the castle is owned by the State of Luxembourg and of the Amis du Château de Bourscheid ( German: Friends of Bourscheid ) managed.