The Asseburg is a

ruined Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

hill castle A hill castle or mountain 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. Hill castles ...

on the narrow, southern crest of the

Asse Asse () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. As of 2020, Asse had a total popula ...

ridge in the

Harz Mountains The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

of Germany, not far from

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest c ...

. The castle was built around 1218 by

Gunzelin of Wolfenbüttel Gunzelin of Kuckenburg ( – after 1017) was Margrave of Meissen from 1002 until 1009. He was the second son of Margrave Gunther of Merseburg ( – 982), thereby the younger brother of Margrave Eckard I of Meissen, and possibly half-brother ...

and his descendants of the

House of Asseburg The House of Asseburg, original German name ''von der Asseburg'', is an old Lower Saxon aristocratic family which had its origin in Wolfenbüttel and Asseburg. During the 12th and 13th centuries the lords of Wolfenbüttel were able to establish ...

, as a so-called ''

Ganerbenburg A ''Ganerbenburg'' (plural: ''Ganerbenburgen'') is a castle occupied and managed by several families or family lines at the same time. These families shared common areas of the castle including the courtyard, well, and chapel, whilst maintaining th ...

'', or castle managed and occupied by more than one family or branch. Based on its dimensions, this elongated fortification was the largest

North Germany Northern Germany (german: link=no, Norddeutschland) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony an ...

and was considered impregnable. Its purpose was to secure the lands around Wolfenbüttel. When Gunzelin refused to swear allegiance to Duke Albert I of Brunswick-Lüneburg, of the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...

, in 1255, the latter destroyed Gunzelin's

Wolfenbüttel Castle Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog Augu ...

and sieged Gunzelin's son ''Burchardus de Asseburc'' (''Burchard'' or ''Busso'' of Asseburg) at Asseburg Castle. Burchard was able to withstand during three years, however in 1258 had to relinquish the castle to Duke Albert I. Burchard was then allowed to retreat to Westphalia with his knights, and received a compensation of 400 gold mark for the castle. After Gunzelin's death in 1260, his sons also lost the county of

Peine Peine (; Eastphalian: ''Paane'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of the district Peine. It is situated on the river Fuhse and the Mittellandkanal, approximately west of Braunschweig, and east of Hanover. History A deed from 11 ...

to the bishop of Hildesheim. Asseburg became one of the strongest fortresses in the duchy. In 1330 the dukes had to pledge the castle to the city of Brunswick, which was interested in securing the trade routes below. When Duke Henry IV asked the castle back in 1492, threatening another siege, the garrison set fire on the castle and left. It fell into ruins after it was abandoned.

Literature

* * * * Ernst Andreas Friedrich: ''Die Ruine der Asseburg'', S.116-117, in: ''Wenn Steine reden könnten'', Vol. III, Landbuch-Verlag, Hanover, 1995, .

External links

Location description and photographs on the website of the Braunschweig-Ostfalen region

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Historic artist's impressionDescription
at ''Braunschweigische Landschaft'' website. Archaeological sites in Germany Castles in Lower Saxony Buildings and structures in Wolfenbüttel (district) Ruined castles in Germany Hill castles