Nanstein Castle (german: Burg Nanstein) is a

ruin 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 ...

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

castle above the town of

Landstuhl Landstuhl () is a town in the Kaiserslautern district of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is the seat of ''Verbandsgemeinde Landstuhl'', a kind of "collective municipality." Landstuhl is situated on the north-west edge of the Palatinate F ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, which has been partially reconstructed. The red

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

rock castle dates from the 12th century and was once owned by Franz von Sickingen, who was mortally wounded during a siege of the castle in 1523.

History

Frederick I of Germany had Nanstein Castle built about 1152. The

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

(

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

) castle, situated above a high sandstone ledge, was originally part of the

Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...

defenses guarding the imperial lands in the south-western Palatinate.

Imperial Knight The Free Imperial knights (german: link=no, Reichsritter la, Eques imperii) were free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor. They were the remnants of the medieval free nobility ('' edelfrei'') and the minister ...

and

Protestant reform The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

er Franz von Sickingen modernized the castle in the 16th century and turned it into a

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. I ...

that was supposed to withstand the artillery of the age. In 1523 (during the so-called "

Knights' Revolt The Knights' Revolt (27 August 15226 May 1523) was a short-lived revolt by several German Protestant, imperial knights, led by Franz von Sickingen, against Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. It has been called the Poor Barons' Rebellion as it inspi ...

"), the castle was besieged by the

Archbishop of Trier The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' (IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.Palatine Elector Louis V, and

Landgrave of Hesse The Landgraviate of Hesse (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen) was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as a single entity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided among the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. History In the early Midd ...

. Sickingen fell mortally wounded during the siege. Sickingen's sons received the partially destroyed castle back from Elector Louis V in 1542 (as a feudal

tenure Tenure is a category of academic appointment existing in some countries. A tenured post is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program disco ...

), and immediately rebuilt it in a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

style. In 1668, the Elector Charles Louis captured the restored castle and had it partially destroyed. French troops destroyed other parts in 1689. In the following centuries several repairs were made, but it remains a castle ruin.

References

External links

* *
Nanstein Castle
at Legendary Castles of the Palatinate {{DEFAULTSORT:Nanstein Castle 1150s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 12th-century fortifications Buildings and structures completed in the 1150s Buildings and structures in Landstuhl Castles in Rhineland-Palatinate Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Gothic architecture in Germany Hill castles Holy Roman Empire House of Sickingen Imperial castles Nine Years' War Renaissance architecture in Germany Renaissance buildings and structures Ruined castles in Germany Sandstone buildings in Germany Tourist attractions in Landstuhl

History

References

Further reading

External links