Sparrenberg Castle
Encyclopedia
The Sparrenburg is a restored fortress in the Bielefeld-Mitte district of Bielefeld
, Germany
. It is situated on the Sparrenberg (180 m (591 ft) altitude) in the Teutoburg Forest
and towers 60 m (197 ft) above the city centre. Its current appearance mainly originated in the 16th and 19th century. The Sparrenburg is considered to be Bielefeld's landmark.
The Sparrenburg was erected as a castle sometime before 1250 by the counts of Ravensberg. It served as a safeguard for the Bielefeld Pass over the Teutoburg Forest, as the ruling seat of the counts of Ravensberg, and as a safeguard for the city of Bielefeld probably founded around 1200. Because the construction of a sheltering castle generally predates the foundation of a city, it is assumed that there was an older precursor building. In 1256 the castle was first mentioned in records.
In 1346 Bernhard Count of Ravensberg died without children. So the House of Calvelage
-Ravensberg died off. The castle was handed over by marriage to Count Gerhard I von Jülich-Berg, who had been married to Bernhard's niece Margarete since 1338, and its function as the ruling seat was lost. On 18 November 1377 emperor Charles IV
stayed overnight. From 1410 to 1428 for a last time the Sparrenburg served as a ruling seat for Count William II of Ravensberg
, who stems from that line of the Jülich House, which ruled the Duchy of Berg. In 1511 the Sparrenburg changed hands again. William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
, who was the also count of Ravensberg, died and County and castle were handed over to his son-in-law John III, Duke of Cleves
.
, ordered the expansion of the castle, dictating that it should be adjusted in order to withstand the more effective siege
guns.
In the middle of the 15th century, a round bastion
was added in the west, only accessible from the castle itself via a bridge, from which one could control Bielefeld Pass with artillery
.
After some preliminary work starting in 1535, from 1556 on the Italian
fortress master builder Alessandro Pasqualini
and his son managed the reconstruction, which was finished in 1578 and created the largest fortress in Westphalia
. The old castle was now surrounded by a terrace and a high defensive wall. In addition to the original western bastion, the Mühlenrondell, the other three corners of the fortress received round bastions and the Mühlenrondell was expanded into a pointed bastion, called "Scherpentiner, in order to further improve control over the Pass.
The description Scherpentiner can only be verified at the Sparrenburg, its origin can be traced back to the Serpentinen (Serpentin = Italian for snake; German Feldschlange, culverin
), which are light artillery
guns of the 15th and 16th century.
, the last duke of Jülich died without male descendants. The collective government, arranged in 1609 by the main heirs John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
and duke Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg
failed and culminated in the War of the Jülich Succession
. In 1612, the castle was damaged by an earthquake. Due to the Treaty of Xanten
, signed in 1614, which ended the succession conflict, the castle was handed over to Brandenburg-Prussia
, which immediately granted the right of occupation to its Dutch
confederates. The Dutch occupation became effective in November 1615.
In 1623, in the course of the Thirty Years' War
, which broke out in 1618, the Dutch had to retreat before the overpowering advance of the Spanish
, led by count John III von Rietberg. In 1625, Brandenburg's colonel Gent unsuccessfully attempted to reconquer the Sparrenburg with the help of Ravensberg's peasants. In 1636 the Swedes
and Hessians
besieged the Spanish for nearly one year before they had to hand over the fortress in 1637. In 1642, they left Sparrenburg to their French
allies.
In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia
confirmed the affiliation to Brandenburg-Prussia. In the following years the Grand Elector Frederick William
stayed several times at the fortress, and two of his children were born there.
During the Franco-Dutch War
the Sparrenburg successfully resisted its last sieges, in 1673 against troops of Münster and in 1679 French troops.
and were used for the construction of the barracks 55, which still stands at the Hans-Sachs-Straße.
In the course of the castle romanticism
of the 19th century, the "Comité zur Wiederherstellung des Thurmes auf dem Sparrenberg" (Committee for the Renovation of the Tower on the Sparrenberg) was founded in Bielefeld, and it reconstructed the tower in 1842/43.
In 1879, the city of Bielefeld was able to buy the complex from Prussia
for a sum of 8,934.90 Marks
, although the original value was assessed 70,000.00 Marks. After long discussions concerning the building's design the construction of the new great hall building was started in 1886 using building plans of the architect E. Hillebrand. On April 24, 1888, the gothic
building with ballroom, restaurant, and museum rooms was opened.
In 1900, a monument of the Grand Elector Frederick William, made by Fritz Schaper, was erected in the courtyard while Emperor William II
, who is the nominal last count of Ravensberg, was present.
emplacement during World War II
, the Sparrenburg was heavily damaged in the course of the air raid on Bielefeld on 30 September 1944; only the tower stayed undamaged.
From 1948 to 1987 there was continuous clean up and restoration
work. From 1955 to 1983 the German Museum of Playing Cards was housed in the rebuilt estate building.
During the latest renovations the actual floor of the fortress was found on the northern Kiekstatt roundel. It is 3 m below the current level. Furthermore stairs leading to the catacombs were discovered. How the restoration should be further carried out is clear as of 2007.
s). The northwestern part of the underground corridor is not accessible with the exception of three tours per year, as it is home to bats.
An attraction is the annual Sparrenburgfest held on the last weekend of July, where carnies
and merchants re-enact the medieval
way of life.
In order to financially secure the preservation and restoration of the complex, the campaign Ein Stein für die Burg (One stone for the castle) was brought to life, where a stone of the castle's wall can be adopted for a donation. For higher donations a personal engraving
of the stone was possible. A total of 3,100 adoptions were made. The possibility of an adoption no longer exists since the end of 2006, because the engraved stones were used for paving the roundels of the castle, and thus the number of adoptions was limited. In view of the estimated restoration costs of 7.5 million euro
Bielefeld's Townsmen Foundation continues to seek further donations even after the end of the adoptions.
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
, 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 situated on the Sparrenberg (180 m (591 ft) altitude) in the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...
and towers 60 m (197 ft) above the city centre. Its current appearance mainly originated in the 16th and 19th century. The Sparrenburg is considered to be Bielefeld's landmark.
First centuries
In 1346 Bernhard Count of Ravensberg died without children. So the House of Calvelage
County of Calvelage
The County of Calvelage existed at the end of the 11th century and in the first half of the 12th century in the region of Vechta in Lower Saxony, Germany.The Court of Kalvelage in the farming community of Brockdorf in Lohne provided the name for the county...
-Ravensberg died off. The castle was handed over by marriage to Count Gerhard I von Jülich-Berg, who had been married to Bernhard's niece Margarete since 1338, and its function as the ruling seat was lost. On 18 November 1377 emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
stayed overnight. From 1410 to 1428 for a last time the Sparrenburg served as a ruling seat for Count William II of Ravensberg
William VIII of Jülich, Count of Ravensberg
William VIII of Jülich, Count of Ravensberg was the youngest son of William VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of Berg and Anna of the Palatinate....
, who stems from that line of the Jülich House, which ruled the Duchy of Berg. In 1511 the Sparrenburg changed hands again. William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
William IV of Jülich-Berg was the last ruler of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.- Life :William was the son of Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg. When his father died in 1475, William became Duke of Jülich-Berg.He married the rich Countess Elisabeth of Nassau-Saarbrücken in...
, who was the also count of Ravensberg, died and County and castle were handed over to his son-in-law John III, Duke of Cleves
John III, Duke of Cleves
John III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
.
Reconstruction as a fortress
The new counts of Ravensberg and the owners of the Sparrenburg, the dukes of ClevesDuchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
, ordered the expansion of the castle, dictating that it should be adjusted in order to withstand the more effective siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
guns.
In the middle of the 15th century, a round bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
was added in the west, only accessible from the castle itself via a bridge, from which one could control Bielefeld Pass with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
After some preliminary work starting in 1535, from 1556 on the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fortress master builder Alessandro Pasqualini
Alessandro Pasqualini
Alessandro Pasqualini was an Italian Renaissance architect, born in Bologna, who helped bring Renaissance architecture to the Low Countries....
and his son managed the reconstruction, which was finished in 1578 and created the largest fortress in Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
. The old castle was now surrounded by a terrace and a high defensive wall. In addition to the original western bastion, the Mühlenrondell, the other three corners of the fortress received round bastions and the Mühlenrondell was expanded into a pointed bastion, called "Scherpentiner, in order to further improve control over the Pass.
The description Scherpentiner can only be verified at the Sparrenburg, its origin can be traced back to the Serpentinen (Serpentin = Italian for snake; German Feldschlange, culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
), which are light artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
guns of the 15th and 16th century.
Practical tests
In 1609 John William von Jülich-Cleves-BergJohn William, Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berg
John William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.His parents were William the Rich, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria , a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. He grew up and was educated in Xanten. John William became...
, the last duke of Jülich died without male descendants. The collective government, arranged in 1609 by the main heirs John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
and duke Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg
Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg
Wolfgang William was a German Count palatine and the Duke of Jülich and Berg.-Life:...
failed and culminated in the War of the Jülich Succession
War of the Jülich Succession
The War of the Jülich Succession was a conflict that began in 1609 and ended in 1614 with the signing of the Treaty of Xanten.-Background:...
. In 1612, the castle was damaged by an earthquake. Due to the Treaty of Xanten
Treaty of Xanten
The Treaty of Xanten was signed in the Lower Rhine town of Xanten on November 12, 1614 between Wolfgang William, Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg and John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, with representatives from England and France serving as mediators....
, signed in 1614, which ended the succession conflict, the castle was handed over to Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
, which immediately granted the right of occupation to its Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
confederates. The Dutch occupation became effective in November 1615.
In 1623, in the course of 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....
, which broke out in 1618, the Dutch had to retreat before the overpowering advance of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, led by count John III von Rietberg. In 1625, Brandenburg's colonel Gent unsuccessfully attempted to reconquer the Sparrenburg with the help of Ravensberg's peasants. In 1636 the Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Hessians
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
besieged the Spanish for nearly one year before they had to hand over the fortress in 1637. In 1642, they left Sparrenburg to their French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
allies.
In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
confirmed the affiliation to Brandenburg-Prussia. In the following years the Grand Elector Frederick William
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
|align=right|Frederick William was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia – and thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia – from 1640 until his death. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is popularly known as the "Great Elector" because of his military and political prowess...
stayed several times at the fortress, and two of his children were born there.
During the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
the Sparrenburg successfully resisted its last sieges, in 1673 against troops of Münster and in 1679 French troops.
Decline and romantic renovation
At the end of the 17th century, the Sparrenburg no longer met the military requirements. Therefore, it was partly used as a prison, and partly subjected to decline. The outer walls were torn down by agreement of King Frederick II of PrussiaFrederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
and were used for the construction of the barracks 55, which still stands at the Hans-Sachs-Straße.
In the course of the castle romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
of the 19th century, the "Comité zur Wiederherstellung des Thurmes auf dem Sparrenberg" (Committee for the Renovation of the Tower on the Sparrenberg) was founded in Bielefeld, and it reconstructed the tower in 1842/43.
In 1879, the city of Bielefeld was able to buy the complex from 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...
for a sum of 8,934.90 Marks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
, although the original value was assessed 70,000.00 Marks. After long discussions concerning the building's design the construction of the new great hall building was started in 1886 using building plans of the architect E. Hillebrand. On April 24, 1888, the gothic
Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
building with ballroom, restaurant, and museum rooms was opened.
In 1900, a monument of the Grand Elector Frederick William, made by Fritz Schaper, was erected in the courtyard while Emperor William II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, who is the nominal last count of Ravensberg, was present.
War damages and restorations
Used as a flakAnti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
emplacement during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Sparrenburg was heavily damaged in the course of the air raid on Bielefeld on 30 September 1944; only the tower stayed undamaged.
From 1948 to 1987 there was continuous clean up and restoration
Art conservation and restoration
Conservation-restoration, also referred to as conservation, is a profession devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care...
work. From 1955 to 1983 the German Museum of Playing Cards was housed in the rebuilt estate building.
During the latest renovations the actual floor of the fortress was found on the northern Kiekstatt roundel. It is 3 m below the current level. Furthermore stairs leading to the catacombs were discovered. How the restoration should be further carried out is clear as of 2007.
Sightseeing and events
The above-ground parts of the Sparrenburg can be visited year-round, free of charge. The rest of the castle can be visited daily from April to October, includingthe ascent of the 37 m (120 ft) tower and the front part of the 285 m (935 ft) subterranean corridor (CasemateCasemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s). The northwestern part of the underground corridor is not accessible with the exception of three tours per year, as it is home to bats.
An attraction is the annual Sparrenburgfest held on the last weekend of July, where carnies
Carny
Carny or carnie is a slang term used in North America and, along with showie, in Australia for a carnival employee, as well as the language they employ...
and merchants re-enact the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
way of life.
In order to financially secure the preservation and restoration of the complex, the campaign Ein Stein für die Burg (One stone for the castle) was brought to life, where a stone of the castle's wall can be adopted for a donation. For higher donations a personal engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
of the stone was possible. A total of 3,100 adoptions were made. The possibility of an adoption no longer exists since the end of 2006, because the engraved stones were used for paving the roundels of the castle, and thus the number of adoptions was limited. In view of the estimated restoration costs of 7.5 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
Bielefeld's Townsmen Foundation continues to seek further donations even after the end of the adoptions.
External links
All links are in German.- Working Team Castle and Fortress Sparrenberg
- Interdisciplinary Working Team AEC+REM 4D
- Information on the Sparrenburg at www.bielefeld.de
- Information on the Sparrenburg at www.burgenwelt.de
- Information on the Sparrenburg at www.burgen-und-schloesser.net
- Information on the Sparrenburg in the Blog of the Castle's Heritage
- Information with Fotos and Timetablel
- Ein Stein für die Burg (Donations)
- Sparrenburgfest