Fürstenberg Castle (german: Burg Fürstenberg), also called the Electoral Cologne State Castle ('' kurkölnische

Landesburg A ''Landesburg'' or ''landesherrliche Burg'' ("sovereign castle", "state castle" or "stately castle") was a castle that a territorial lord, such as a prince-bishop, duke or prince built for the defence or expansion of his sovereign estates. ...

''), is a ruined

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

near the former site of the village Höingen, in the municipality of Ense, Soest in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Built on a high point above the

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

as a castle for the

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...

, who was among the prince electors of the Holy Roman Empire, the site was called the Prince's Hill (''Fürstenberg''), lending its name to the House of Fürstenberg (Westphalia) that started with the Imperial Knight Hermann, the '' Lehnsmann'' who held the castle for the prince when it was first built, . Burg Fürstenberg (Höingen) Mauerreste

Location

The ruins of this hill castle lie on the hill of Fürstenberg above the site of the former village of Höingen and the

. It was part of the

Duchy of Westphalia The Duchy of Westphalia (german: Herzogtum Westfalen) was a historic territory in the Holy Roman Empire, which existed from 1102 to 1803. It was located in the greater region of Westphalia, originally one of the three main regions in the Germa ...

and was in a position of strategic importance on the border with the County of Arnsberg. The inner bailey was on an eminence known as ''Richters Köpfchen'', the

outer bailey An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...

further away on the site of the present Chapel on the Fürstenberg.

History

The castle is first mentioned in 1295. At that time its first castellan ('' Burgmann''), Hermann of Fürstenberg is cited, the first record of the now flourishing family of the barons of Fürstenberg. This Herman came from the family of Binolen ( Hönnetal), but later named itself after their administrative seat of Fürstenberg. The castle was involved in numerous military actions: * 1303/04 - destruction by Count Everd of the Mark in his feud against Archbishop Wigbold, * 1307/09 - Archbishop Henry rebuilt the castle. On 8 December 1309 he was in the castle and signed two documents, * 1311 - Count Engelbert II of the Mark destroyed the castle, * 1313 - Bishop Henry rebuilt the castle, * 1343/44 - the castle was finally destroyed by the counts of Arnsberg and of the Mark. Members of the family of Fürstenberg lived at that time as castellans in

Werl Werl (; Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area. The Hellweg r ...

and around 1365/70 built Waterlappe Castle, which became their family seat in 1633. When in 1368 the County of Arnsberg was transferred to the Electors of Cologne, the border castle on the Fürstenberg hill lost its significance. The town of Neheim, now in Cologne, took over the defensive function in this area against the counts of the Mark.

Site

Even today the ring-shaped, medieval ramparts of the castle may be seen in the woods on the Fürstenberg. They are a protected site. Two fortifications may be distinguished: :a) Oldenburg, a large rampart system in which the

castle chapel Castle chapels (german: Burgkapellen) in European architecture are chapels that were built within a castle. They fulfilled the religious requirements of the castle lord and his retinue, while also sometimes serving as a burial site. Because the ...

is located, :b) ''Richters Köpfchen'', lower down, a small medieval stone castle. Individual remains of the stone castle on "Richters Köpfchen" may still be seen. The Chapel on the Fürstenberg, on the tip of the hill, has been recorded since 1429.

Literature

* Jens Friedhoff: ''Sauerland und Siegerland. Theiss Burgenführer''. Published by Joachim Zeune. Theiss, Stuttgart, 2002, , pp. 70–71. * Michael Jolk und Günter Bertzen: ''Der Fürstenberg. Kapelle, Badehaus, Vegetation und Heilkräuter''. Westfälische Kunststätten, Issue 92. Selbstverlag, Münster, 2002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Burg Furstenberg Castles in North Rhine-Westphalia Duchy of Westphalia