Untersulmetingen Castle
Encyclopedia
Untersulmetingen Castle is a small castle-like renaissance
structure in the village of Untersulmetingen, now part of the municipality of Laupheim
, in the state of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
.
to the west of the river Riß.
building, covered by a large gable
d roof. which dates from around 1600.
The castles' chapel, which dates from 1608 and was dedicated to Saint Othmar
, is decorated by paintings and stucco
whose function it is to amalgamate the encompassed forms of the windows and paintings into a moving form.
during the German Peasants' War
. On the death of Georg von Sulmetingen in 1528, the original local nobility became extinct, after which the castle and the village repeatedly changed hands. Between 1538 and 1542, Hieronymus Roth von Schreckenstein, a patrician from Ulm
, had a new castle built on the foundations of the previous one, destroyed during the Peasants' War.
In 1551 Untersulmetingen Castle was acquired by Johann Jakob Fugger. His successors altered the castle fundamentally. Around 1600, the gabled roof was constructed. In 1608, Trajan Fugger added a Rococo
-style chapel to the castle. He invested a large sum to embellish the castle itself and its precinct, erecting a gatehouse
, a castle garden, a tithe barn
and several economy buildings. In 1729, the castle was mortgaged to Ochsenhausen Abbey
which ultimately bought the castle in 1735.
Between 1730 and 1732, Benedikt Denzel, abbot
of Ochsenhausen Abbey, redesigned the interior of Untersulmetingen Castle as well as the castles' chapel
, employing prestigious artists such as sculptor
Dominikus Hermenegild Herberger and painter Franz Joseph Spiegler
.
In 1803, after the dissolution of the monasteries during the secularisation
, the castle went into the hands of Georg Karl von Metternich-Winneburg und Beilstein as compensation for territories lost to France
following Napoleon's conquests. In 1805 he sold the castle to Karl Anselm von Thurn und Taxis
. In December 1805 the village passed into the possession of the Kingdom of Bavaria
and in 1806 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Württemberg
. Karl Anselm von Thurn und Taxis remained lord of the castle until the feudal tenure was abolished later on. From that time the castle was allocated to the local priest who used it as his residence until 1969, when it was sold into private hands.
In 1979 and in 2000, the castle's chapel was renovated.
A stork
's nest is situated on top of one of the chimneys.
Renaissance
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...
structure in the village of Untersulmetingen, now part of the municipality of Laupheim
Laupheim
Laupheim is a city in southern Germany in the state of Baden Württemberg. Laupheim was first mentioned in 778 and gained its city rights in 1869. One of the main trading routes, from Ulm to Ravensburg and then on towards Lake Constance ran through Laupheim...
, in the 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...
, 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...
.
Location
The castle is situated at an elevation of 509 metres in the centre of the formerly independent village of Untersulmetingen. It is located on a slow slope of a terminal moraineTerminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
to the west of the river Riß.
Appearance
Untersulmetingen Castle is a plain, three-storeyStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
building, covered by a large gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof. which dates from around 1600.
The castles' chapel, which dates from 1608 and was dedicated to Saint Othmar
Saint Othmar
St. Othmar, O.S.B., was a monk and priest appointed as the first abbot of the Abbey of St. Gall, a Benedictine monastery in St. Gall, Switzerland....
, is decorated by paintings and stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
whose function it is to amalgamate the encompassed forms of the windows and paintings into a moving form.
History
A medieval castle was built around 1400. In March 1525 this castle was looted and burnt down by the Baltringer HaufenBaltringer Haufen
The Baltringer Haufen was prominent among several armed groups of peasants and craftsmen during the German Peasants' War of 1524-1525. The name derived from the small Upper Swabian village of Baltringen, which lies approximately south of Ulm in the district of Biberach, Germany...
during the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
. On the death of Georg von Sulmetingen in 1528, the original local nobility became extinct, after which the castle and the village repeatedly changed hands. Between 1538 and 1542, Hieronymus Roth von Schreckenstein, a patrician from Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, had a new castle built on the foundations of the previous one, destroyed during the Peasants' War.
In 1551 Untersulmetingen Castle was acquired by Johann Jakob Fugger. His successors altered the castle fundamentally. Around 1600, the gabled roof was constructed. In 1608, Trajan Fugger added a Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
-style chapel to the castle. He invested a large sum to embellish the castle itself and its precinct, erecting a gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
, a castle garden, a tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
and several economy buildings. In 1729, the castle was mortgaged to Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Ochsenhausen in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.- History :...
which ultimately bought the castle in 1735.
Between 1730 and 1732, Benedikt Denzel, abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Ochsenhausen Abbey, redesigned the interior of Untersulmetingen Castle as well as the castles' chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, employing prestigious artists such as sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Dominikus Hermenegild Herberger and painter Franz Joseph Spiegler
Franz Joseph Spiegler
Franz Joseph Spiegler was a German Baroque painter. He is best known for his frescoes, which decorate many of the churches and monasteries along the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. The frescoes in the Zwiefalten Abbey are considered his masterpiece.Spiegler was born the Free Imperial City of Wangen...
.
In 1803, after the dissolution of the monasteries during the secularisation
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
, the castle went into the hands of Georg Karl von Metternich-Winneburg und Beilstein as compensation for territories lost to France
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...
following Napoleon's conquests. In 1805 he sold the castle to Karl Anselm von Thurn und Taxis
Karl Anselm, 4th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
-Titles and styles:*2 June 1733 – 8 November 1739: His Serene Highness Prince Karl Anselm of Thurn and Taxis*8 November 1739 – 17 March 1773: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
. In December 1805 the village passed into the possession of the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
and in 1806 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
. Karl Anselm von Thurn und Taxis remained lord of the castle until the feudal tenure was abolished later on. From that time the castle was allocated to the local priest who used it as his residence until 1969, when it was sold into private hands.
In 1979 and in 2000, the castle's chapel was renovated.
Current use
Today the castle is privately owned. The chapel is home of the local administration.A stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
's nest is situated on top of one of the chimneys.