Mespelbrunn Castle

Mespelbrunn Castle
Schloß Mespelbrunn (German)
The western Front of Mespelbrunn Castle
Location within Germany
General information
Type	Medieval Castle / Renaissance manor house
Architectural style	Romanesque/Renaissance
Location	Mespelbrunn, Germany
Coordinates	49°54′20″N 9°18′26″E / 49.905556°N 9.307222°E / 49.905556; 9.307222
Construction started	1412 / 1551
Completed	1569
Design and construction
Owner	Counts of Ingelheim called Echter of and to Mespelbrunn

Mespelbrunn Castle is a medieval moated castle on the territory of the town of Mespelbrunn, between Frankfurt and Würzburg, built in a remote tributary valley of the Elsava valley, within the Spessart forest. One of the most visited water castles in Germany, it is frequently featured in tourist books.

Origins

The first precursor of Mespelbrunn Castle was a simple house. The owner was Hamann Echter, vizedom of Aschaffenburg, a title which means that he was the representant of the ruler the prince elector archbishop of Mainz Johann II of Nassau at the castle and town of Aschaffenburg. On May 1, 1412, the prince elector bestowed the „Place to the Espelborn" to Echter, who constructed a house without fortifications in the valley close to a pond. The Echter family originates from the Odenwald region. Their name presumably means "der die Acht vollstreckt", the executor of the ostracism. These times, the Spessart was a wild and unexploited virgin forest, used for hideout by bandits and Hussites, who spoiled the regions nearby. Therefore in 1427 Hamann Echter, the son of the first owner, began to rebuild his father's house to a fortified castle with walls, towers and a moat, therefore using the nearby pond.

Rebuilding

Only the Bergfried, the round tower is a reminiscent of that time. The following generations changed the defense structures to a representative manor-house, mainly built in the style of Renaissance. Today's appearance primary is the result of rebuildings, made between 1551 and 1569 by Peter Echter of Mespelbrunn and his wife Gertrud of Adelsheim.

Most famous member of the family was Julius Echter, prince bishop of Würzburg, who founded the Juliusspital, a hospital in Würzburg in 1576 and re-founded the university of Würzburg in 1583.

In 1648, the last member of the family, Maria Ottilia, Echterin of Mespelbrunn, married Philipp Ludwig of Ingelheim, member of a family of barons, later arose to counts of Ingelheim. By permission of the emperor the name of the Echter family was saved, because they were allowed to merge their names to Counts of Ingelheim called Echter of and to Mespelbrunn.

The southern side of the court

Note its now missing fortifications but its remote location saved Mespelbrunn Castle from destruction by warfare.

Description

The main building of Mespelbrunn Castle is built on an almost square base on the eastern side of a pond. On the whole northern, western and southern side, the court is surrounded by two storied houses. On the northeastern and southwestern corner, towers of similar height are added to the houses. These are decorated with stepped gables on the western side. The main entrance is on the left side of the southern building. On the western side, the court is limited by two framed transits to the water and the main tower in center, which surmounts the castle.

plan view of the castle

Contemporary situation

Today Mespelbrunn Castle is owned by the family of the counts of Ingelheim, who live in the southern wing of the castle.

Trivia

In 1957 Mespelbrunn Castle was one of the locations of the German film Das Wirtshaus im Spessart (The Spessart Inn, 1958), based on a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff.

External links

• Official site of Mespelbrunn Castle