Liebenzell Castle
Encyclopedia
Liebenzell Castle is a hill castle
on a sloping hill spur on the sides of the Schlossberg ("castle hill") above the town of Bad Liebenzell
in the district of Calw in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg
. The fortification was once the most important castle in the Württemberg part of the Black Forest
.
Today the castle is owned by the International Forum of Liebenzell Castle. It is used as a youth training centre for the Bad Liebenzell International Youth Forum and has a restaurant.
, into which a square bergfried
with an garderobe
has been integrated. The great hall (Palas) is decorated with ornamental ogival
openings (Spitzbogenöffnungen). The six-storey bergfried has a height of 32 metres and has an entrance six metres in height, a wall thickness of two metres and an area of about 9 by 9 metres.
Hill 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...
on a sloping hill spur on the sides of the Schlossberg ("castle hill") above the town of Bad Liebenzell
Bad Liebenzell
Bad Liebenzell is a spa town in the Nagold River valley, the northern part of the Black Forest. It was first mentioned in 1090 and is the heart of the Liebenzeller Mission ....
in the district of Calw in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. The fortification was once the most important castle in the Württemberg part of the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
.
History
The castle was built in the 12th century by the counts of Calw. In 1196 the counts of Eberstein were recorded as the castle's owners. From 1220 to 1230 the castle was extended. It was destroyed in the 16th century and in 1692 and rebuilt in 1954.Today the castle is owned by the International Forum of Liebenzell Castle. It is used as a youth training centre for the Bad Liebenzell International Youth Forum and has a restaurant.
Layout
The castle comprises an irregular, pentagonal fortification with a mighty shield wallShield wall (fortification)
A shield wall refers to the highest and strongest wall of a castle where it is clearly distinguished from the other curtain walls of a castle. The shield wall serves to protect the side from which the main attack is expected...
, into which a square 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...
with an garderobe
Garderobe
The term garderobe describes a place where clothes and other items are stored, and also a medieval toilet. In European public places, a garderobe denotes the cloakroom, wardrobe, alcove or an armoire. In Danish, Dutch, German and Spanish garderobe can mean a cloakroom. In Latvian it means checkroom...
has been integrated. The great hall (Palas) is decorated with ornamental ogival
Ogive
An ogive is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object.-Applied physical science and engineering:In ballistics or aerodynamics, an ogive is a pointed, curved surface mainly used to form the approximately streamlined nose of a bullet or other projectile.The traditional...
openings (Spitzbogenöffnungen). The six-storey bergfried has a height of 32 metres and has an entrance six metres in height, a wall thickness of two metres and an area of about 9 by 9 metres.
Sources
- Gedat, Gustav-Adolf (1963). Burg Liebenzell. Kleines Modell für ein neues Europa. Thorbecke, Constance/Stuttgart.
- Krahe, Friedrich-Wilhelm (1994). Burgen des deutschen Mittelalters. Grundriss-Lexikon. Flechsig Verlag, Würzburg, ISBN 3-8035-1372-3.
- Zimmermann, Wolfgang (1981). Unterwegs zu Burgen und Schlössern im Schwarzwald. Ausflüge und Wanderungen zu den schönsten und interessantesten Burgen und Schlössern. Fink-Kümmerly und Frey, Ostfildern, ISBN 3-7718-0409-4.