Rheinstein Castle

Rheinstein Castle from the south

The Rheinstein Castle, also known as Castle Voitsberg or Vaitzburg, is a spur castle in the upper Middle Rhine Valley in the municipality Trechtingshausen in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland -Palatinate, Germany. It was given its present name after its reconstruction in 1829.

Since 2002 the castle Rheinstein is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

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Location

The hill fort is on the left bank of the Rhine on a 90 m high rocky spur at 190 m above sea level. NN on the eastern slope of the Binger Forest. It is located above the Rhine between Bingen and Trechtingshausen near the Binger Rheinknie. However, by the terraced layout of the Bering she resembles a hillside castle. The design is strongly reminiscent of a small piece of the Rhine located Ehrenberg rock on the right side of the Rhine.

History

The castle was built as Vaitzburg or Fautsburg in the early 14th century. Other names such as Castle Voi ( g) tsberg or castle Fatzberg with numerous other spellings have been handed down from their history. The name is a variation of Vogt castle or castle guard mountain. According to other sources, the move to begin construction in the 13th century, it should have been after St. Boniface, the patron saint of the Archbishopric of Mainz, named Boniface Castle Mountain, which was then sanded to Fait mountain.

Middle Ages

Due to recent dendrochronological studies of the start of construction to 1316/17 can be dated, so speculation about an early start of construction by 900 or 1000 are obsolete. First mention as Mainz possession was in 1323, so it was probably under the Archbishop of Mainz, Peter of Aspelt ( 1306-20 ), built around the reconstruction of the ruin ban rich stone - located on sight down the Rhine - to monitor. This had been destroyed as robber barons of the Lords of Hohenfels in 1286 by King Rudolf of Habsburg. After the Hohenfelser - although actually Mainz vassals - were sold in 1290, the ruins of the Palatinate, a backup of the Mainz territory had become necessary. A second expansion phase followed in 1330, and probably a third in the late 15th century, though the castle lost its strategic importance already in 1344 because the Palatinate renounced in favor of Mainz on the rich stone.

Modern Times

End of the 16th century begins with the last inhabitants lack of economic means of decay. In the Palatinate Succession War the castle was probably already so dilapidated that the French renounced here on a blast as they took place in almost all other castles in the valley.

In 1816 the ruined castle of the Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel - the Rhine Province had been a year earlier assumed by the Congress of Vienna, Prussia - the eye. This drew up plans for romanticized reconstruction of the castle, which Prince Frederick of Prussia in 1823 to buy the castle led and which were implemented only by Johann Claudius von Lassaulx 1825 and adapted in 1827 by his successor Wilhelm Kuhn to the wishes of the prince. She was thus the first of the ruined or destroyed Rhine castles, which was rebuilt (→ Romantic Rhine ). With the completion of the work in 1829, the castle was also the now familiar name Rheinstein. In a third phase of expansion from 1839 to 1844, the chapel and the south uphill location Swiss House came to a guesthouse. Schinkel designed the reconstruction value on the conservation of medieval buildings, so the part still stands out clearly from supplements.

1863 Prince George of Prussia inherited the castle. In the crypt of the chapel in 1863, Prince Frederick of Prussia, in 1882 his wife Princess Luise and 1902 their son Prince George were buried.

In 1973, Barbara Irene Princess of Prussia, Duchess of Mecklenburg, the castle for sale. Here, she was deceived by a from England coming, purported buyer who removed the easily movable parts of the inventory and sold. Subsequent sales of the owner also made ​​sure that many properties of the original equipment disappeared. The poor condition of the building fabric hampered sales significantly, even the state of Rhineland -Palatinate rejected, despite the recommendation of the Monument Office, due to the excessive repair costs from. Finally, in 1975 acquired the opera singer Hermann Hecher the plant and put them with the help of a development association and the State Office of Historic Monuments over the years repaired.

Chronology of the owner

From the 14th to the 17th century, the castle of the archbishops of Mainz was awarded as fief: owners and feudal lords were, among others:

Today

The castle is set elaborately repaired after more than thirty years of renovation work and largely equipped back in stock. It is privately owned, but is a consideration accessible to regular opening times. Particularly interesting are the large part reconstructed architectural paintings and restored stained glass windows from the 14th to the 17th century. At the castle there is a restaurant business; a tower apartment and a holiday at the castle can be rented. For civil and church weddings are romantic gardens and historic rooms.

Events

• Rhine in Flames on the 1st Saturday in July: Big fireworks and boat trip on the Middle Rhine Trechtingshausen with castle rich stone, along castle Rheinstein, Assmannshausen, Mouse Tower, ruins of Ehrenberg rock (Hesse), Bingen am Rhein with Klopp Castle to Rudesheim am Rhein with the Brömserburg.
• During the months of April, May, September and October there will be a romantic night tour at the castle Rheinstein every Friday evening.