Heimburg Castle
Encyclopedia
Heimburg Castle also called the Altenburg or Alteburg, is a ruined castle
on an oval hilltop about 330 metres above sea level (NN) which is located just north of the Harz Mountains in central Germany. The ruins of this hilltop castle
stand above the village of Heimburg
in the borough of Blankenburg in the district of Harz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
. It is checkpoint no. 84 in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking network.
was probably built in the 10th century to defend the important Harz mining region and the route to the imperial hunting base of Bodfeld
in the central Harz from Saxon princes. It was first mentioned as a possession of Emperor Henry IV in 1073. It was destroyed by the Saxons after the Battle of Welserholz in 1123. In 1143 the castle must have been rebuilt as it was entrusted to a ministerialis
, Anno of Heimburg, by Henry the Lion
. After losing a feud between Heimburg and Regenstein that had lasted for several generations, Heimburg conceded the castle to Count Ulrich I of Regenstein
. One line of these counts thenceforth called themselves Regenstein-Heimburg. In the 16th century the castle was enfeoffed repeatedly but after its destruction in the Thirty Years' War
it was not restored. The castle fell into ruins and was used as a source of stone for building materials. After the Regensteins died out in 1599 the fief was returned to its feudal lord, the Duke of Brunswick. Excavations were carried out on the site from 1891 to 1894 and, in 1990, the site was refurbished and opened to the public.
, the remains of several other walls, ditches and ramparts and the round bergfried
. The inner ward had an areas of 35 by 60 metres.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
on an oval hilltop about 330 metres above sea level (NN) which is located just north of the Harz Mountains in central Germany. The ruins of this hilltop castle
Hilltop castle
A hilltop castle is a type of hill castle that was built on the summit of a hill or mountain. The chief advantage of such a strategically selected site was its inaccessibility. The steep flanks of the hill made assaults on the castle difficult or, depending on the terrain, even impossible...
stand above the village of Heimburg
Heimburg
Heimburg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Blankenburg am Harz....
in the borough of Blankenburg in the district of Harz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. It is checkpoint no. 84 in the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking network.
History
The hill castleHill castle
A hill castle is a castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain. It is a term derived from the German Höhenburg used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location...
was probably built in the 10th century to defend the important Harz mining region and the route to the imperial hunting base of Bodfeld
Bodfeld
Bodfeld was a small royal palace or lodge that was primarily established for hunting purposes and, when the town of Elbingerode was emerged, for the administration of ore mining in the central Harz that underpinned the power of the Ottonian and Salian kings and emperors in medieval Europe...
in the central Harz from Saxon princes. It was first mentioned as a possession of Emperor Henry IV in 1073. It was destroyed by the Saxons after the Battle of Welserholz in 1123. In 1143 the castle must have been rebuilt as it was entrusted to a ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
, Anno of Heimburg, by Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
. After losing a feud between Heimburg and Regenstein that had lasted for several generations, Heimburg conceded the castle to Count Ulrich I of Regenstein
House of Regenstein
The House of Regenstein, also Reinstein, was a Lower Saxon family of counts, which was named after the eponymous Regenstein Castle near Blankenburg on the edge of the Harz Mountains of central Germany.- History :...
. One line of these counts thenceforth called themselves Regenstein-Heimburg. In the 16th century the castle was enfeoffed repeatedly but after its destruction in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
it was not restored. The castle fell into ruins and was used as a source of stone for building materials. After the Regensteins died out in 1599 the fief was returned to its feudal lord, the Duke of Brunswick. Excavations were carried out on the site from 1891 to 1894 and, in 1990, the site was refurbished and opened to the public.
Layout
Today the oval castle site consists of the remnants of s 10 metre high curtain wallCurtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
, the remains of several other walls, ditches and ramparts and the round bergfried
Bergfried
A bergfried is a tall tower typically found in medieval castles in German-speaking countries . Its defensive function is to some extent similar to that of a keep or donjon in English or French castles...
. The inner ward had an areas of 35 by 60 metres.
Source
- Friedrich Stolberg: Befestigungsanlagen im und am Harz von der Frühgeschichte bis zur Neuzeit, Hildesheim 1983