medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
castle in the East Harz in central Germany situated on an elevation southwest of the village of
Stecklenberg
Stecklenberg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 23 November 2009, it is part of the town Thale.
Sights
The ''Glockenstein'' is a granite block in the shape of a bell that was probab ...
(in the borough of
Thale
Thale () is a town in the Harz (district), Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre.
Geography
The ...
) in
Harz district
Harz is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Its area is .
History
The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein (from the district of Aschersleben ...
in the state of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
The
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
was built in the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...
.
The ruins of the Lauenburg stand on a foothill of the Ramberg massif above the village of Stecklenberg. It was built by Henry IV and first mentioned in the records in 1164. The construction of the two-part castle with its inner and outer wards (''Vorburg'' and ''Hauptburg'') probably took up to ten years. The two halves of the castle are separated by a massive defensive ditch (a
neck ditch
A neck ditch (), sometimes called a throat ditch, at www.roadstoruins.com. Accessed on 3 Jan 2012. is a dry
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
with a total length of more than 350 metres was the protection of
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the Harz (district), district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg becam ...
and the nearby
military roads
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a di ...
. In 1180 the Lauenburg was captured by
Frederick I (Barbarossa)
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 115 ...
during a series of warlike conflicts. Later robber barons resided in the castle for periods of time, until it was destroyed in the 14th century.
Today the main castle is badly run-down. Only a few remnants of the towers and the outer walls are still left. The only structure in the entire fortification that has withstood the ravages of time and history relatively well is the
keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...
of the outer ward. Its ruins can be seen from a long way off.
The Lauenburg has a checkpoint (no. 187) in the network of hiking trails that form the
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a system of hiking awards in the Harz mountains in central Germany. Hikers (or mountain bikers) can earn awards at different levels of challenge by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and stamping their ...
. It is on the path by the entrance to the inn that is situated between the two parts of the castle.
Access
The castle may accessed on a footpath that runs from behind the church in Stecklenberg; there is a small car park in front of the church. The path climbs steeply past a children's play park up to the ruined castle of Stecklenburg. Beyond the ruins, the path continues uphill to the Lauenburg.
Gallery
File:Lauenburg (kleine)_01.jpg, Little (''Kleine'') Lauenburg, west side of the keep (2005)
File:Lauenburg (kleine)_03.jpg, Little Lauenburg, remains of the ''Bering'' or of a building on the north side (2005)
File:Lauenburg (große)_02.jpg, Great (''Große'') Lauenburg: keep in the area of the eastern bailey (2005)
File:Lauenburg (große)_01.jpg, Great Lauenburg, keep in the area of the eastern bailey (2005)
File:Lauenburg (große)_03.jpg, Great Lauenburg, arch in the area of the gate (2005)
File:Lauenburg (große)_04.jpg, Great Lauenburg, building ruins in the area of the western Kernburg (2005)