Gleichen
Encyclopedia
Gleichen is the name of two groups of castles in Germany
, thus named from their resemblance to each other .
between Gotha
and Erfurt
.
One of these called Gleichen, the Wandersleben
er Gleiche (1221 ft. above the sea), was besieged unsuccessfully by the emperor Henry IV
in 1088. It was the seat of a line of counts, one of whom, Ernest III, a crusader, is the subject of a romantic legend. Having been captured, he was released from his imprisonment by a Turkish
woman, who returned with him to Germany and became his wife, a papal dispensation allowing him to live with two wives at the same time (see Reineck, Die Sage von der Doppelehe eines Grafen von Gleichen, 1891). After belonging to the elector of Mainz
the castle became the property of Prussia
in 1803. The second castle is called Mühlburg (1309 ft. above the sea). This existed as early as 704 and was besieged by Henry IV in 1087. It came into the hands of Prussia in 1803. The third castle, Wachsenburg
(1358 ft.), was still inhabited in 1911 and contained a collection of weapons and pictures belonging to its owner, the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, whose family obtained possession of it in 1368. It was built about 935 (see Beyer, Die drei Gleichen, Erfurt, 1898).
, over Bremke
.
through his marriage with Laura Wilhelmina Seymour
, sister of the 5th Marquess of Hertford
and daughter of Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour
, a branch of the Hohenlohe family having at one time owned part of the county of Gleichen.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, thus named from their resemblance to each other .
Castles in Thuringia between Gotha and Erfurt
The first is a group of three (hence called “die drei [three] Gleichen”), each situated on a hill in ThuringiaThuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
between Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
and Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
.
One of these called Gleichen, the Wandersleben
Wandersleben
Wandersleben is a village and a former municipality in the district of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it is part of the municipality Drei Gleichen....
er Gleiche (1221 ft. above the sea), was besieged unsuccessfully by the emperor Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
in 1088. It was the seat of a line of counts, one of whom, Ernest III, a crusader, is the subject of a romantic legend. Having been captured, he was released from his imprisonment by a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
woman, who returned with him to Germany and became his wife, a papal dispensation allowing him to live with two wives at the same time (see Reineck, Die Sage von der Doppelehe eines Grafen von Gleichen, 1891). After belonging to the elector of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
the castle became the property of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in 1803. The second castle is called Mühlburg (1309 ft. above the sea). This existed as early as 704 and was besieged by Henry IV in 1087. It came into the hands of Prussia in 1803. The third castle, Wachsenburg
Wachsenburggemeinde
Wachsenburggemeinde is a municipality in the district Ilm-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany. The municipality is named after the castle Veste Wachsenburg which is located in its center. It consists of the five villages named Bittstädt, Haarhausen, Holzhausen, Röhrensee, and Sülzenbrücken....
(1358 ft.), was still inhabited in 1911 and contained a collection of weapons and pictures belonging to its owner, the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, whose family obtained possession of it in 1368. It was built about 935 (see Beyer, Die drei Gleichen, Erfurt, 1898).
Castles near Göttingen
The other group consists of two castles, Neuen-Gleichen and Alten-Gleichen. The former is in ruins, while the latter is barely discernable under the forest cover. They crown two hills south-east of GöttingenGöttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, over Bremke
Bremke
Bremke is a village in the Gemeinde Gleichen in southern Lower Saxony.The village of 879 residents is located about ten kilometers south-east of Göttingen and lies in the shadow of the two small mountains called the Gleichen for the castles that once stood on their peaks...
.
The name of Gleichen
The name of Gleichen is taken by the family descended from Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-LangenburgPrince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Admiral Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg GCB , also known as Count Gleichen, was an officer in the Royal Navy, and a sculptor.-Biography:...
through his marriage with Laura Wilhelmina Seymour
Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was a British-born aristocrat whose marriage to a German prince naturalised in England made her a kinswoman of the British Royal Family and a member of the royal court.-Ancestry:Laura Williamina Seymour was a daughter of Admiral Sir George Seymour and his...
, sister of the 5th Marquess of Hertford
Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford
Francis George Hugh Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford GCB PC , known as Francis Seymour until 1870, was a British courtier and Conservative politician...
and daughter of Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour
George Francis Seymour
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Francis Seymour, GCB, GCH, PC was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:...
, a branch of the Hohenlohe family having at one time owned part of the county of Gleichen.