Hodenhagen Castle

P3

Site of the former castle in a grove at the Meiße

The testicles Hagen castle is the castle stables of a passed in the 13th century lowland castle near Hodenhagen district Heidekreis in Lower Saxony. The medieval aristocratic residence was only about 100 years and was destroyed in 1289.

Location

The castle was in an uninhabited area in the important river crossing of the old postal route on the Meiss. Today the castle location a few meters next to the entrance to the Serengeti Park. The former castle site is halfway into a small forest and half in farmland.

Description

The earlier appearance of the castle has been handed down by a sketch of William Hodenberg anfertigte middle of the 19th century. During this time, the last remnants were leveled and eliminated in the form of earthen walls, moat and stone remnants. According to the drawing, the castle of an oval ring barrier of 109 × was 95 m in diameter, which bordered directly to the Meiss. The Wall was once encircled by a moat, which was fed from the river. At the time of preparation of the sketch a farm road already cut the interior wall. At that time, the foundation of a round donjon with 10 meters in diameter was found in it, which had 2.5 m thick outer walls. Elsewhere inside another wall remains were found in the soil.

Near the castle site suspected William of Hodenberg a farmyard with forge, as he had found pieces of iron and slag residues. In addition, there should have been a castle mill on the Meiss and a historically traditional chapel whose locations were not locate.

At the castle memory a statue imputed by the family of Hodenberg 1856 memorial stone, which is located at the former castle site in the small forest.

History

The castle belonged to the noblemen of Hodenberg, which represented an important noble family in the region. After they were ousted in 1200 from its headquarters castle Hodenberg in Altenbücken by the Count of Hoya, they built some 30 km further east on the Meiße the castle Hodenhagen. Their formation time is already suspected in 1200, documented finds the castle until 1244 mention.

Due to the seat at the castle Hodenhagen the sway of the noble family of Hodenberg was geographically and interest- connected between the Counts of Hoya and the pressing westward Guelph. The Guelph Duke Otto the Strict in 1289 was to destroy the castle Hodenhagen by razing. In a deed dated August 27, 1289, he had to get over is by Heinrich von Hodenberg. In this way the Hodenberger became dependent of the Duke and lost their regional domination position, they became vassals of Guelph. It is believed that the destruction of the castle also served to curb the then widespread robber barons by the lower nobility.

After the destruction of the castle Hodenhagen the noble family moved its headquarters to the west in today's testicles Hagen district Hudemühlen. There, a courtyard with fortified elements was constructed that placed the origin of the resulting 1400 resort Hodenhagen. It was not until 1448, the Court is of the considered by Hodenberg in documents as a castle. The building was remodeled in the 16th century to the glorious Renaissance castle Hudemühlen, which was demolished in the 19th century.

Similar fortifications of the area

In the vicinity there were in the low country of the Aller a number of other medieval castles, partly similar design. These include fortifications in Bierde (castle Bierde ) Ahlden (Aller ) ( Bunkenburg ), nettle ( Uhlenburg ) ( Burg Blankenburg ), Rethem (Aller) (castle Rethem ) Grethem (castle Blankenhagen ).

The testicles Hagen castle is one of the former strongholds, the ( BALT ) were examined between 2003 and 2005 the project castle landscape Aller-Leine Valley. The project was supported by, among other European LEADER funding program, as the castle is in the Aller -Leine valley. However, in the castle Hodenhagen only an archaeological Flugprospektion was made excavations were not made previously.