Greifenstein Castle () lies in the eponymous village of

Greifenstein Greifenstein is a municipality in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Its administrative seat is Beilstein. Greifenstein covers 67.43 km2 on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range. It was named for the Greifenstein Castle (Hesse), ...

in the county of

Lahn-Dill-Kreis Lahn-Dill is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Siegen-Wittgenstein, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Gießen, Wetteraukreis, Hochtaunuskreis, Limburg-Weilburg, Westerwaldkreis. History The southern district ...

Middle Hesse The region of Middle Hesse (, ) is one of three planning regions in the German state of Hesse, alongside North Hesse, North and South Hesse. Its territory is identical with that of the Regierungsbezirk Gießen, administrative province of Gießen (' ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is a geo point in the national geopark of Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus.

Location

The

hill castle A hill castle or mountain castle is a castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain. It is a term derived from the German ''Höhenburg'' used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location. Hill castles a ...

stands on a hill in the Dill Westerwald and has a good view over the Dill valley. At above sea level (NN) it is the highest castle in the county of Lahn-Dill. The castle is a highly visible landmark. It is signed from the A 45 motorway.

History

The hill castle was first recorded in 1160. In 1298 it was destroyed by the counts of

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Austria * Nassau (Groß Sankt Florian), incorporated village of Groß Sankt Florian Bahamas *Nassau, The Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upp ...

and

Solms Solms () is a town west of Wetzlar in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hessen, Germany with around 13,500 inhabitants. In the constituent community of Burgsolms once stood the ancestral castle of the Counts and Princes of House of Solms, Solms. Geography Lo ...

, as was Lichtenstein, which was not rebuilt. In 1315 it was enfeoffed by the House of Habsburg (

Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) * Albert I, Count of Namur () * Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg * Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Al ...

had purchased the castle from Kraft of Greifenstein) to the Counts of Nassau.http://regesten.regesta-imperii.de/regshow.php?pk=44588&bandanzeige= After having several owners, it had become dilapidated by 1676 and was then converted into a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

schloss ''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house. Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cogn ...

'' by William Maurice of Solms-Greifenstein. After the counts moved to

Braunfels Braunfels () is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. Geography Location The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley. It is 9 km southwes ...

in 1693 the site fell into ruins. In 1969 the castle ruins were gifted to the Greifenstein Society, who have since looked after the preservation of the site, which is open to the public and incorporates a restaurant. The castle is a

heritage site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

in the meaning of the Hessian Monument Conservation Act. Since 1995, its restoration has also been supported by the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

because it has been classified as a Monument of National Significances (''Denkmal von nationaler Bedeutung'').

Description

The circular walk across the castle terrain leads to a

gaol A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cri ...

with torture implements, weapons and a wine cellar, living rooms and a twin-towered

bergfried ''Bergfried'' (plural: ''bergfriede''; English: ''belfry''; French: ''tour-beffroi''; Italian: ''torrione''; Castilian: ''torre del homenaje'') is a tall tower that is typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German-speaking countries an ...

accessible on a

spiral staircase Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical direction, vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps wh ...

. On the pointed roof of the Brother Tower (''Bruderturm'') there is a

gryphon The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk o ...

(German: ''Greif'', a reference to the name of the castle) as a

weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...

. In the tower itself is a peal of three bells with

strike tone The strike tone, strike note, or tap note, of a percussion instrument (e.g. bell, chime or gong) when struck, is the dominant note perceived immediately by the human ear. It is also known as the prime or fundamental note. However, an analysis of ...

s of F^#1, A¹ and C². Attractions include the Village and Castle Museum (''Dorf- und Burgmuseum''), one of the few double chapels in Germany. The Chapel of St. Catherine was built in 1462 as a

fortified church A fortified church is a church that is built to serve a defensive role in times of war. Such church (building), churches were specially designed to incorporate military features, such as thick walls, battlements, and embrasures. Others, such as t ...

in the

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

. When the castle was converted into the

Baroque style The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (i ...

the castle courtyard was filled with earth with the result that, today, the chapel is below ground level. It contains

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es and

arrow slit An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts. The interi ...

s as well as

casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...

s with vaulted ceilings and fighting rooms. The Baroque church built above the fortified chapel from 1687 to 1702 is richly decorated with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

s and is of the Italian Early Baroque period. Upper and lower churches are linked by a staircase. Walks around the castle and an educational herb garden make the site a popular destination.

Gallery

File:Burg Greifenstein 1 Juli 2011.jpg, Aerial view File:Burg Greifenstein 2 Juli 2011.jpg, Front view from the air File:Greifenstein - Burg - Front.jpg, Front view File:BurgGreifenstein.jpg, The twin towers File:Burg Greifenstein Mario Becker Project-B-WW 20070325.jpg, Mystical side

References

Literature

* Georg Ulrich Großmann: ''Mittel- und Südhessen : Lahntal, Taunus, Rheingau, Wetterau, Frankfurt und Maintal, Kinzig, Vogelsberg, Rhön, Bergstraße und Odenwald.'' DuMont, Cologne, 1995, (=''DuMont Kunst-Reiseführer''), pp. 45–48. * Rudolf Knappe: ''Mittelalterliche Burgen in Hessen: 800 Burgen, Burgruinen und Burgstätten.'' 3rd edn., Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen, 2000, , pp. 287–288. * ''Schlösser, Burgen, alte Mauern.'' Herausgegeben vom Hessendienst der Staatskanzlei, Wiesbaden, 1990, pp. 148–150, .

External links

* * Greifenstein-Verein e. V.
Greifenstein Castle
* Wolfgang Braun
Artist’s impression based on the model
{{Authority control Hill castles Castles in Hesse Museums in Hesse Buildings and structures in the Westerwald Buildings and structures in Lahn-Dill-Kreis