Greifenstein Castle (german: Burg Greifenstein) lies in the eponymous village of

Greifenstein Greifenstein is a municipality in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Its administrative seat is Beilstein. Greifenstein covers 67.43 km² on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range. It was named for the castle of the same name in th ...

in the county of Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Middle Hesse, Germany. It is a geo point in the national geopark of Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus.

Location

The hill castle stands on a hill in the Dill Westerwald and has a good view over the Dill valley. At above sea level (NN) it is the highest castle in the county of Lahn-Dill. The castle is a highly visible landmark. It is signed from the A 45 motorway.

History

The hill castle was first recorded in 1160. In 1298 it was destroyed by the counts of Nassau and Solms, as was Lichtenstein, which was not rebuilt. In 1315 it was enfeoffed by the House of Habsburg (

Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) *Albert I, Count of Namur () *Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg *Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Alber ...

had purchased the castle from Kraft of Greifenstein) to the Counts of Nassau.http://regesten.regesta-imperii.de/regshow.php?pk=44588&bandanzeige= After having several owners, it had become dilapidated by 1676 and was then converted into a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

'' schloss'' by William Maurice of Solms-Greifenstein. After the counts moved to

Braunfels Braunfels () is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. Geography Location The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley. It is 9 km southwest ...

in 1693 the site fell into ruins. In 1969 the castle ruins were gifted to the Greifenstein Society, who have since looked after the preservation of the site, which is open to the public and incorporates a restaurant. The castle is a heritage site in the meaning of the Hessian Monument Conservation Act. Since 1995, its restoration has also been supported by the Federal Republic of Germany because it has been classified as a Monument of National Significances (''Denkmal von nationaler Bedeutung'').

Description

The circular walk across the castle terrain leads to a gaol with torture implements, weapons and a wine cellar, living rooms and a twin-towered bergfried accessible on a spiral staircase. On the pointed roof of the Brother Tower (''Bruderturm'') there is a gryphon (German: ''Greif'', a reference to the name of the castle) as a weather vane. In the tower itself is a peal of three bells with

strike tone The strike tone, strike note, or tap note, of a percussion instrument (e.g. bell, chime or gong) when struck, is the dominant note perceived immediately by the human ear. It is also known as the prime or fundamental note. However, an analysis of t ...

s of F^#1, A¹ and C². Attractions include the Village and Castle Museum (''Dorf- und Burgmuseum''), one of the few

double chapel The double chapel, sometimes ''double church'', is a chapel or church building with two storeys that either have a central aperture enabling their simultaneous use for services or are completely separate, just connected by a staircase, and used f ...

s in Germany. The Chapel of St. Catherine was built in 1462 as a fortified church in the Gothic style. When the castle was converted into the Baroque style the castle courtyard was filled with earth with the result that, today, the chapel is below ground level. It contains

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es and arrow slits as well as

casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...

s with vaulted ceilings and fighting rooms. The Baroque church built above the fortified chapel from 1687 to 1702 is richly decorated with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

s and is of the Italian Early Baroque period. Upper and lower churches are linked by a staircase. Walks around the castle and an educational herb garden make the site a popular destination.

Gallery

File:Burg Greifenstein 1 Juli 2011.jpg, Aerial view File:Burg Greifenstein 2 Juli 2011.jpg, Front view from the air File:Greifenstein - Burg - Front.jpg, Front view File:BurgGreifenstein.jpg, The twin towers File:Burg Greifenstein Mario Becker Project-B-WW 20070325.jpg, Mystical side

References

Literature

* Georg Ulrich Großmann: ''Mittel- und Südhessen : Lahntal, Taunus, Rheingau, Wetterau, Frankfurt und Maintal, Kinzig, Vogelsberg, Rhön, Bergstraße und Odenwald.'' DuMont, Cologne, 1995, (=''DuMont Kunst-Reiseführer''), pp. 45–48. * Rudolf Knappe: ''Mittelalterliche Burgen in Hessen: 800 Burgen, Burgruinen und Burgstätten.'' 3rd edn., Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen, 2000, , pp. 287–288. * ''Schlösser, Burgen, alte Mauern.'' Herausgegeben vom Hessendienst der Staatskanzlei, Wiesbaden, 1990, pp. 148–150, .

External links

* * Greifenstein-Verein e. V.
Greifenstein Castle
* Wolfgang Braun
Artist’s impression based on the model
{{Authority control Hill castles Castles in Hesse Museums in Hesse Buildings and structures in the Westerwald Buildings and structures in Lahn-Dill-Kreis