Burg Nassau

The ruins of Burg Nassau, a castle in Nassau, Germany, are on a rock cone 120 meters over the Lahn River in Rhineland-Palatinate. Its builders were from the House of Nassau, an ancient aristocratic dynasty whose descendants are today the rulers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

History

It was first mentioned in 1093 with the nomination of Count Dudo von Laurenburg in the founding-charter of the monastery of Maria Laach. Since that document however has been proven by historians to be a fake, that year is not a reliable indication. The guaranteed beginnings of the castle date around the year 1100. In 1120 Count Ruprecht I of Laurenburg (also known as Rupert I) and his brother Arnold I have the Nassau Castle mountain with its tower into their possession. They renovated and extended the castle complex in 1124.

Because at that time the castle however stood on the territory of the diocese of Worms, a bitter feud developed between the family of the two brothers and the Bishopric of Worms. It was only solved in 1159 by intervention of the Archbishop of Trier, Hillin von Fallemanien. The Laurenburger count family gave up their allodial title and in return were given the fiefdom over the castle and town of Nassau from the archbishop. From now on the Laurenburger family called itself the Counts of Nassau after its fiefdom. The first count to call himself that was Henry I, in 1160.

His great-cousin Henry II, also called Henry the Rich ("Heinrich der Reiche"), constructed the main building of the castle between 1220 to 1230 in the late-romanesque architecture.

In 1255 occurred the so-called "brother division" ("Bruderteilung"), where the county of Nassau was divided between Henry's sons, Walram II and Otto I. Nassau Castle, however, remained a common possession of the two brothers (so-called "Ganerbschaft" in ancient Germanic hereditary laws).

In the first half of the 14th century, the still-extant 33 meters high keep (or donjon) was built. In 1346 a second castle tower was mentioned, which no longer exists. During a family feud in 1372 the housing of the castle keepers was destroyed.

The counts lived in the castle until the end of the Middle Ages, at which time they gave it up as their residence. An etching by Matthäus Merian from 17th century shows an intact Palas and keep as well as a gate building. When in 1970 archeological surveys were done to open the rectangular Burgbering, only ruins were left.

Starting in 1976 restoration of the keep took place. Its hipped roof and merlon, as well as the side towers, were again reconstructed after the etching by Merian and the six to eight meters high arcaded vault in its interiors were restored. Furthermore, the opening to the dungeon of the tower was cleared.

The reconstruction of the Palas and its knights hall followed from 1979-80. During the course of the restoration the late-Gothic window-arcades were rediscovered.

The castle came into the possession of the state castle-administration of Rhineland-Palatinate ("Staatliche Schlösserverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz") in 1965. The main building today accommodates a restaurant, while the keep can be visited free of charge.

External links

* [http://www.burg-nassau.de Homepage of the Castle-restaurant] with a detailed history of the counts of Nassau de icon

Literature

* Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Rheinland-Pfalz, Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser (Hrsg.): "Staatliche Burgen, Schlösser und Altertümer in Rheinland-Pfalz". 6. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage. Mainz 1997.