Mespelbrunn Castle
Encyclopedia
Mespelbrunn Castle is a medieval moated castle
on the territory of the town of Mespelbrunn
, between Frankfurt
and Würzburg
, built in a remote tributary valley of the Elsava
valley, within the Spessart
forest. One of the most visited water castle
s in Germany
, it is frequently featured in tourist books.
, a title which means that he was the representant of the ruler the prince elector archbishop of Mainz Johann II of Nassau at the castle and town of Aschaffenburg. On May 1, 1412, the prince elector bestowed the „Place to the Espelborn" to Echter, who constructed a house without fortifications in the valley close to a pond. The Echter family originates from the Odenwald
region. Their name presumably means "der die Acht vollstreckt", the executor of the ostracism. These times, the Spessart
was a wild and unexploited virgin forest, used for hideout by bandits and Hussites, who spoiled the regions nearby. Therefore in 1427 Hamann Echter, the son of the first owner, began to rebuild his father's house to a fortified castle with walls, towers and a moat, therefore using the nearby pond.
. Today's appearance primary is the result of rebuildings, made between 1551 and 1569 by Peter Echter of Mespelbrunn and his wife Gertrud of Adelsheim.
Most famous member of the family was Julius Echter, prince bishop of Würzburg
, who founded the Juliusspital, a hospital in Würzburg in 1576 and re-founded the university of Würzburg
in 1583.
In 1648, the last member of the family, Maria Ottilia, Echterin of Mespelbrunn, married Philipp Ludwig of Ingelheim, member of a family of barons, later arose to counts of Ingelheim. By permission of the emperor the name of the Echter family was saved, because they were allowed to merge their names to Counts of Ingelheim called Echter of and to Mespelbrunn.
Note its now missing fortifications but its remote location saved Mespelbrunn Castle from destruction by warfare.
.
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 the territory of the town of Mespelbrunn
Mespelbrunn
Mespelbrunn is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Mespelbrunn, whose seat is in Heimbuchenthal.-Amalgamations:The community was formed out of the former communities of Hessenthal...
, between Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, built in a remote tributary valley of the Elsava
Elsava
Elsava is a river of Bavaria, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Bavaria...
valley, within the Spessart
Spessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
forest. One of the most visited water castle
Water castle
A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural waterbodies. Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle.There is a further distinction between:...
s in Germany
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...
, it is frequently featured in tourist books.
Origins
The first precursor of Mespelbrunn Castle was a simple house. The owner was Hamann Echter, vizedom of AschaffenburgAschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
, a title which means that he was the representant of the ruler the prince elector archbishop of Mainz Johann II of Nassau at the castle and town of Aschaffenburg. On May 1, 1412, the prince elector bestowed the „Place to the Espelborn" to Echter, who constructed a house without fortifications in the valley close to a pond. The Echter family originates from the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
region. Their name presumably means "der die Acht vollstreckt", the executor of the ostracism. These times, the Spessart
Spessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
was a wild and unexploited virgin forest, used for hideout by bandits and Hussites, who spoiled the regions nearby. Therefore in 1427 Hamann Echter, the son of the first owner, began to rebuild his father's house to a fortified castle with walls, towers and a moat, therefore using the nearby pond.
Rebuilding
Only the Bergfried, the round tower is a reminiscent of that time. The following generations changed the defense structures to a representative manor-house, mainly built in the style of RenaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. Today's appearance primary is the result of rebuildings, made between 1551 and 1569 by Peter Echter of Mespelbrunn and his wife Gertrud of Adelsheim.
Most famous member of the family was Julius Echter, prince bishop of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, who founded the Juliusspital, a hospital in Würzburg in 1576 and re-founded the university of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
in 1583.
In 1648, the last member of the family, Maria Ottilia, Echterin of Mespelbrunn, married Philipp Ludwig of Ingelheim, member of a family of barons, later arose to counts of Ingelheim. By permission of the emperor the name of the Echter family was saved, because they were allowed to merge their names to Counts of Ingelheim called Echter of and to Mespelbrunn.
Description
The main building of Mespelbrunn Castle is built on an almost square base on the eastern side of a pond. On the whole northern, western and southern side, the court is surrounded by two storied houses. On the northeastern and southwestern corner, towers of similar height are added to the houses. These are decorated with stepped gables on the western side. The main entrance is on the left side of the southern building. On the western side, the court is limited by two framed transits to the water and the main tower in center, which surmounts the castle.Contemporary situation
Today Mespelbrunn Castle is owned by the family of the counts of Ingelheim, who live in the southern wing of the castle.Trivia
In 1957 Mespelbrunn Castle was one of the locations of the German film Das Wirtshaus im Spessart (The Spessart Inn, 1958), based on a fairy tale by Wilhelm HauffWilhelm Hauff
Wilhelm Hauff was a German poet and novelist.-Early life:Hauff was born in Stuttgart, the son of August Friedrich Hauff, a secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs, and Hedwig Wilhelmine Elsaesser Hauff...
.