Krayenburg

The Krayenburg was a castle situated on the

Krayenberg The Krayenberg is a hill near Tiefenort, Germany. Since 500 BCE it was a rampart and served as a refuge for the central part of the Werratal. It became important for German history due to the Krayenburg, which was built on its top after 786, a ...

hill in Germany, having the townships of

Tiefenort Tiefenort is a village and a former municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. Since July 2018, it is part of the town Bad Salzungen. It is situated on the river Werra, 5 km west of Bad Salzungen, and 8 km east of ...

and

Merkers-Kieselbach Merkers-Kieselbach is a former municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. Since 31 December 2013, it is part of the municipality Krayenberggemeinde. Geography Merkers-Kieselbach lies on either side of the River Werra near t ...

at its foot, and overlooking an extensive section of the Werratal. On 31 August 786

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

gave the village of Dorndorf and all of its belongings to

Hersfeld Abbey Hersfeld Abbey was an important Benedictine imperial abbey in the town of Bad Hersfeld in Hesse (formerly in Hesse-Nassau), Germany, at the confluence of the rivers Geisa, Haune and Fulda. The ruins are now a medieval festival venue. History H ...

; the abbey built the Krayenburg to protect it. The castle changed ownership repeatedly. It was owned by Graf Adam von Beichlingen, who died on 7 August 1538 and is buried in the church in Tiefenort. The

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

started the destruction of the castle when Croatian troops (under Johann Ludwig Hektor von Isolani) captured the Krayenburg. However, it continued to play an important role in German history until the 19th century.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...

visited the castle in 1782, the year he was

ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

. The castle was originally very large, once larger than

Wartburg Castle The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the p ...

. The ruins have been restored and are open to visitors; there is a restaurant with hotel on the former site. A tower allows a wide view into the Werratal. {{Authority control Castles in Thuringia Landmarks in Germany Buildings and structures in Wartburgkreis En-Krayenburg