Veldenz Castle
Encyclopedia
Veldenz Castle was built on a spur
above the village of Nohfelden
in Landkreis Sankt Wendel
in the northeast of Saarland
, Germany
.
is first mentioned in 1285, in a document stipulating that its builder, Count William Bossel II of Stein from Oberstein an der Nahe
had to allow his liege
lord, the Count of Veldenz to use the castle in case of war or a feud
.
The Dukes of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
acquired the Lordship of Nohfelden, including Veldenz Castle, in the middle of the 15th century. The castle served in 1490 as the stage for one of the saddest chapters in the history of Palatinate-Zweibrücken: after the death of Duke Louis the Black
, his sons Kaspar
and Alexander
ruled the duchy jointly for a year. Then Alexander had his older brother locked up in the castle, claiming that Kaspar was mad. Kaspar remained locked up in Veldenz castle until his death in 1527, even after Alexander's death.
The castle was frequenly damaged in the many wars of the 17th century, but was repaired equally often. In 1661, Duke Frederick
of Zweibrücken-Veldenz died at the castle.
In 1804 the castle was nationalized by the French state, then sold off to the Cetto brothers from Sankt Wendel
. They use the castle as a source of building materials.
The municipality of Nohfelden
is the current owner of the castle.
The basement has been made accessible to the public in 1971. It is about 30 meters long and 12 meters wide.
The 21 meter high keep
of the castle still stands; the roof, howver, is missing. The tower is accessible to the public from April to October. Guided tours can be arranged via the local tourist office.
Spur (mountain)
A spur is a subsidiary summit of a hill or mountain. By definition, spurs have low topographic prominence, as they are lower than their parent summit and are closely connected to them on the same ridgeline...
above the village of Nohfelden
Nohfelden
Nohfelden is a municipality in the district of Sankt Wendel, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km north of Sankt Wendel, and 20 km southwest of Idar-Oberstein....
in Landkreis Sankt Wendel
Sankt Wendel
St. Wendel is a municipality in northeastern Saarland. It is situated on the river Blies 36 km northeast of Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, and is named after Saint Wendelin of Trier.- Geography :...
in the northeast of Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
, 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...
.
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...
is first mentioned in 1285, in a document stipulating that its builder, Count William Bossel II of Stein from Oberstein an der Nahe
Idar-Oberstein
Idar-Oberstein is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a Große kreisangehörige Stadt , it assumes some of the responsibilities that for smaller municipalities in the district are assumed by the district administration...
had to allow his liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
lord, the Count of Veldenz to use the castle in case of war or a feud
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
.
The Dukes of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
acquired the Lordship of Nohfelden, including Veldenz Castle, in the middle of the 15th century. The castle served in 1490 as the stage for one of the saddest chapters in the history of Palatinate-Zweibrücken: after the death of Duke Louis the Black
Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Louis I of Zweibrücken was Count Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken and of Veldenz in 1444–1489.He was the younger son of Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken and his wife Anna, heiress of the County of Veldenz, whom he had wed in 1409. Although Anne died in 1439, her widower did not...
, his sons Kaspar
Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Veldenz was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1489 to 1490. He was the son of Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Johanna of Croÿ. In 1478 in Zweibrücken he married Amalie of Brandenburg , daughter of Albert III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg. Amalie...
and Alexander
Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Alexander of Zweibrücken was Count Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken and of Veldenz in 1489–1514.He was the son of Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife Johanna of Croÿ...
ruled the duchy jointly for a year. Then Alexander had his older brother locked up in the castle, claiming that Kaspar was mad. Kaspar remained locked up in Veldenz castle until his death in 1527, even after Alexander's death.
The castle was frequenly damaged in the many wars of the 17th century, but was repaired equally often. In 1661, Duke Frederick
Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Frederick was the Duke of Zweibrücken from 1635 until 1661.-Life:Frederick was born in Zweibrücken in 1616 as the elder son of John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. He succeeded his father in 1635. During his reign, Palatinate-Zweibrücken was devastated during the Thirty Years' War...
of Zweibrücken-Veldenz died at the castle.
In 1804 the castle was nationalized by the French state, then sold off to the Cetto brothers from Sankt Wendel
Sankt Wendel
St. Wendel is a municipality in northeastern Saarland. It is situated on the river Blies 36 km northeast of Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, and is named after Saint Wendelin of Trier.- Geography :...
. They use the castle as a source of building materials.
The municipality of Nohfelden
Nohfelden
Nohfelden is a municipality in the district of Sankt Wendel, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km north of Sankt Wendel, and 20 km southwest of Idar-Oberstein....
is the current owner of the castle.
Grounds
The grounds of the castle are 100 meters long. Most of the surrounding wall still stands. Houses have been built on the grounds.The basement has been made accessible to the public in 1971. It is about 30 meters long and 12 meters wide.
The 21 meter high keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
of the castle still stands; the roof, howver, is missing. The tower is accessible to the public from April to October. Guided tours can be arranged via the local tourist office.