
Marienberg Fortress (German: ''Festung Marienberg'') is a prominent landmark on the left bank of the
Main river in
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...
, in the
Franconia
Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
region of
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
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 symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the local
prince-bishop
A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to '' Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the ...
s for nearly five centuries. It has been a fort since ancient times, although most of the current structures were built in
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
and
Baroque styles between the 16th and 18th centuries. After
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as ...
of Sweden conquered the area in 1631 during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, the castle was reconstructed as a Baroque residence. After it ceased to serve as residence of the Bishops of Würzburg, the fortress saw repeated action in the wars of the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was severely damaged by British bombs in March 1945 and only fully rebuilt in 1990. Today, it houses two museums.
Geography
The fortress is located on a prominent spur of the Marienberg, which rises about 100 metres over the Main river on the opposite side of the city of Würzburg. On the slopes around the castle are vineyards.
History
Prehistory and Middle-Ages
Around 1000 BC, a
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
refuge castle
A refuge castleCreighton, Oliver (2015). ''Early European Castles''. Bloomsbury. or refuge fort (, also ''Fluchtburg'', ''Volksburg'', ''Bauernburg'' or ''Vryburg'') is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by Rampart (fortification ...
was built on the site by members of the
Urnfield culture
The Urnfield culture () was a late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age culture of Central Europe, often divided into several local cultures within a broader Urnfield tradition. The name comes from the custom of cremation, cremating the dead and placin ...
. Archaeological findings indicate that the locals of the later
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western Europe, Western and Central European archaeological culture of the Late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe (Hallst ...
had trade contacts with
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
and that the hill marked an extreme northern point on the wine trade network of the time circa 500 BC. The hill may have been a ''Fürstensitz'', the seat of a "prince".
From 100 AD onwards, control of the area changed hands several times between different "tribes" (
Suevi
file:1st century Germani.png, 300px, The approximate positions of some Germanic peoples reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 1st century. Suebian peoples in red, and other Irminones in purple.
The Suebi (also spelled Suavi, Suevi or Suebians ...
,
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic people who lived close to the border of the Roman Empire, north of the River Danube, and are mentioned in Roman records from approximately 60 BC until about 400 AD. They were one of the most important members of th ...
,
Allemanni and
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...
), before the area was taken by the
Franks
file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty
The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
in the 6th century. Würzburg became the occasional seat of a Franconian-Thuringian duke under the
Merovingians. His court resided on the right bank of the Main, however. In the 7th century,
a written document mentioned ''Uburzi'' (which later became ''Virteburch'' and then "Würzburg"), referring to the fortification on the hill. The name ''Marienberg'' was in use only from high medieval times onward. After missionary work in the area led by
Saint Kilian
Kilian, also spelled Cillian or Killian (or alternatively ; , original Gaelic form Ceallach), was an Ireland, Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (now the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours in the latter half ...
in the late 7th century, in the early 8th century, the Franks under Duke
Hedan II constructed a chapel dedicated to the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
and a fortification (earth ramparts and half-timbered houses) on the hill. The chapel – probably built at the site of a former pagan holy site dedicated to a
mother goddess
A mother goddess is a major goddess characterized as a mother or progenitor, either as an embodiment of motherhood and fertility or fulfilling the cosmological role of a creator- and/or destroyer-figure, typically associated the Earth, sky, ...
– and
later churches that replaced it, was the reason why the hill and fortress eventually became known as ''Marienberg'' ("Mary's Mount"). This was probably the first Christian church built of stone north of the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
outside of the territory formerly controlled by
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
(i.e. east of the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
and on the far side of the
Limes).
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
came to Franconia in 719, by which time there was no longer a duke at Würzburg, and some of the local clergy practiced pagan customs. Boniface appointed his follower
Saint Burchard as the first
Bishop of Würzburg
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...
in 741. Saint Mary's Church (explicitly mentioned in a document from 822) became the
See's cathedral. Over the next decades, the town of Würzburg began to grow and in 788 the hill-top church lost the role of cathedral to a predecessor of
Würzburg Cathedral
Würzburg Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of ye ...
(except for a brief interlude after the latter was destroyed in a fire in 855). At that point, the remains of Saint Kilian,
Saint Colman and
Saint Totnan were moved from Saint Mary's to be reinterred at the new cathedral. However, Saint Mary's continued to serve as the burial site for the intestines of the Prince-Bishops. Their bodies were buried in the cathedral, their hearts until 1573 at
Ebrach Abbey.
No mention is made of any fortification on Marienberg until, in the 13th century, the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg moved their residence to Marienberg. Beginning around 1200, medieval fortifications were constructed on the hill. Under Bishop
Konrad von Querfurt, Saint Mary's became the court chapel of the See. He and Bishop built what is today known as the ''
Bergfried'' and the first
palas
A ''palas'' () is a German term for the imposing or prestigious building of a medieval '' Pfalz'' or castle that contained the great hall. Such buildings appeared during the Romanesque period (11th to 13th century) and, according to Thompson ...
. Lobdeburg used the castle as a temporary residence in 1242. After relations between the bishop and the people of the town – who supported the Emperor against their bishop – deteriorated in 1253, he moved his court permanently to the fortress. His successors remained there until the 18th century. Relations between bishop and town were fraught and the main reason for keeping an armed contingent stationed in the fortress. After 1308, the palas was enlarged under Bishop with construction paid for by the townspeople to compensate their liege lord for a riot that year. Since access to water was at a premium on the hill and earlier attempts to link the fortress to a spring at
Höchberg were less than satisfactory, the ''Tiefer Brunnen'' ("deep well", going down 100 metres) was dug inside the fortress. The reign of Bishop saw the construction of an additional ring of fortifications. In 1373, the
burghers of Würzburg attacked the fortress with catapults whilst the fortress fired back with blackpowder weapons, the first documented use of guns in Würzburg. The first half of the 15th century saw a decline of the ''
Hochstift
In the Holy Roman Empire, the German language, German term (plural: ) referred to the territory ruled by a bishop as a prince (i.e. prince-bishop), as opposed to his diocese, generally much larger and over which he exercised only spiritual auth ...
'' and construction on the fortress mostly ceased. Only after 1466, under Bishop
Rudolf von Scherenberg, were more fortifications and the ''Scherenbergtor'' added, as well as some towers and outbuildings.
Modern era
Bishop
Lorenz von Bibra had the fortress rebuilt as a
Renaissance residence and added fortifications after 1495.
In 1525, during the
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt () was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising befor ...
(''Bauernkrieg''), the fortress successfully withstood a siege by peasants led by
Götz von Berlichingen
zu Hornberg (, ; 15 November 1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand (German language, German: Eisenfaust), was a 16th-century Germany, German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary and poet. He wa ...
.
In May of that year, a peasant army of 15,000 men surrounded the fortification, but could not penetrate the concentric walls. By this time the ruling Prince-Bishop Konrad II of Thüngen had already fled the fortress. The defence was commanded by the knight and
Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth (also known as Frederick V; or ; 8 May 1460 – 4 April 1536) was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna of Saxony (d. 1512), Anna, daughter of Freder ...
. When their political leader,
Florian Geyer, went to
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber () is a town located in the district of Ansbach (district), Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is well known for its well-preserved Middle Ages, medieval old town, a d ...
in early June to procure the heavy guns needed to attempt to breach the walls, the leaderless peasant army camped around the castle was outflanked by the professional army of the
Swabian League
The Swabian League () was a military alliance of Imperial State, imperial estates – Free imperial city, imperial cities, prelates, principalities and knights – principally in the territory of the early Middle Ages, medieval stem duchy of S ...
. In the ensuing battle, more than 8,000 peasants were killed. Bishop
Konrad von Thüngen was able to return to his fortress, from which he had earlier fled.
[Gunther Franz, ''Der deutsche Bauernkrieg'', (Darmstadt, 1979), passim.] Also that year, sculptor
Tilman Riemenschneider was imprisoned in the fortress and tortured along with the other members of Würzburg's city council, as punishment for allying themselves with the peasants.
Bishop
Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn took office in 1573. He again reconstructed the fortress and further increased the size of the fortifications, after a fire in 1572 had damaged much of the medieval castle. Under his reign, the transformation of the fortress into a Renaissance residence was completed. In 1600, a fire destroyed the north wing of the main building and damaged some of the towers and the chapel. By 1607, the northern part of the fortress had been rebuilt. The goal was a rectangular four-wing palace, with towers at the corners, in accordance with the fashion of the time. However, the fourth tower was never built. Echter also had the chapel rebuilt and added a new well house.
In 1631, after some days of fighting the fortress was taken by Swedish forces under
Gustav II Adolf of Sweden in the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. Swedish troops plundered the fortress. Most of the well-known library was carried off to
Uppsala
Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019.
Loc ...
. The fortress was held by the Swedish and their allies until 1635.
Bernard of Saxe-Weimar
Bernard of Saxe-Weimar (; 16 August 160418 July 1639) was a German prince and general in the Thirty Years' War.
Biography
Born in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, Bernard was the eleventh son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Dorothea ...
had been appointed Duke of Franconia. In 1635, Bishop
Franz von Hatzfeld
Franz von Hatzfeld (13 September 1596 – 30 July 1642) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1631 to 1642 and the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg from 1633 to 1642.
Franz von Hatzfeld was born in Crottorf, near Friesenhagen, on 13 September ...
was able to return to Würzburg.
After 1642, the princely residence was completely rebuilt and redesigned under Bishop
Johann Philipp von Schönborn
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...
. In 1648, the fortress became a ''Reichsfestung'' and its fortifications were again increased considerably over the next decades.
After 1708, the palas (''Fürstenhaus'') and church were redesigned in
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 ...
style. The fortifications achieved their current form with the addition of a number of outer works to the southeast (''Höllenschlund'') in 1711–1715. In 1712,
Charles VI was received by the Prince-Bishop at the castle, the last time a
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
visited the fortress. Shortly thereafter, in 1719/20 the court of the Bishops moved into a palace on the other side of the Main river which was later replaced by today's
Würzburg Residence
The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/Southern German Baroque style, were involved in the construct ...
. Marienberg now became just a military structure. Work on the last tower to be built (''Maschikuliturm'') began in 1724.
The fortress saw repeated action during the wars of 1795–1815. In 1796, during the
War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition () was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797, initially against the Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI, constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French First Republic, Frenc ...
, the well-stocked fortress was handed over by its garrison to the French. In 1800/01, however, it was successfully defended against a new French attack by Imperial General Dall'Aglio during the
War of the Second Coalition
The War of the Second Coalition () (1798/9 – 1801/2, depending on periodisation) was the second war targeting French Revolution, revolutionary French First Republic, France by many European monarchies, led by Kingdom of Great Britain, Britai ...
. In 1803, the fortress was occupied by troops of the
Electorate of Bavaria
The Electorate of Bavaria () was a quasi-independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria.
The Wittelsbach dynasty which ruled the Duchy of Bavaria was the younger ...
after the Bishopric of Würzburg was
secularized
In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...
. From 1805 to 1814, Marienberg was a fortress of the
Grand Duchy of Würzburg, part of the
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...
, the puppet state of the
First French Empire
The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
. In 1813/14, French troops tenaciously defended the fortress against
coalition forces. The French Emperor
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
visited the fortress in 1806, in 1812 before the
Russian campaign, and twice in 1813.
In 1814, Fortress Marienberg passed to the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...
. The
Prussians under
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Edwin Karl Rochus Freiherr von Manteuffel (24 February 1809 – 17 June 1885) was a Prussian ''Generalfeldmarschall'' noted for his victories in the Franco-Prussian War, and the first Imperial Lieutenant () of Alsace–Lorraine from 1879 until h ...
bombarded the fortress from the south in 1866 during the
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
. Marienberg lost its official status as "fortress" in 1867. During the
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
of 1870/71 it was used as a garrison and prison camp. Due to disuse, by 1900 the fortress had fallen into disrepair.
From 1914 to 1918, during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the fortress served as barracks for artillery. During the
German revolution
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, revolutionaries seized control of the fortress in 1918 but it was retaken by government troops. After the war, the ''Fürstenbau'' served as a barracks for the ''
Landespolizei
; ) is a term used to refer to the state police of any of the states of Germany.
History
The of today can trace its origins to the late 19th century, when Germany united into a single country in 1871, under Otto von Bismarck. Various ...
'' (state police), as a military depot and as an emergency accommodation (100 apartments). In 1935, the
Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes became the owner of the fortress and began its restoration.
Towards the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the ''Echterbastei'' served as a medical depot and then as a depository of cultural treasures. During the
bombing of Würzburg by the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
on 16 March 1945, significant parts of the fortress were destroyed by fire caused by
incendiary bombs. Reconstruction commenced after 1950 and was finished only in 1990.
Architecture
Given the repeated destruction of the fortress' structures over the centuries, most recently and significantly in the bombing of 1945, many of the edifices visible today have been reconstructed to a lesser or greater extent. References in the following to a specific period thus do not necessarily imply that the substance of the extant structure dates to that period—it may have been rebuilt in the period's style.
Inner court
The inner court features the free-standing Romanesque 13th century ''Bergfried'' (keep), the Renaissance well house from 1603 and the ''Marienkirche'' (or St Mary's Church). The ''Bergfried'' was originally known as ''Mittlerer Turm'' or ''Wartturm;'' the actual
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 fortress was the predecessor of today's ''Kilianstum''. The church's foundations go back to the 8th century, but the structure has seen repeated alterations over the centuries. While the basic form of two cylinders placed on top of each other remains, the building's proportions were changed in the 13th century and the size of the windows increased. The domed roof and the ''
Echterchor'' were added by Bishop Echter. The interior also mostly dates to his reign, and reflects the Renaissance style with first indications of the coming Baroque period. The altars inside are Baroque.
''Fürstenbau''

Surrounding the inner court is the four-wing ''Fürstenbau''. Three of its four corners are marked by towers named (clockwise from the northwest) ''Kiliansturm'', ''Marienturm'' and ''Randersackererturm''. These mostly date to the rebuilding of the castle in the early 17th century. The ''Fürstenbau'' itself mostly reflects later 16th/17th century architecture and design but also features the ''
Bibra Treppe'' (stairway) built in 1511. In the great hall (''Fürstensaal'') some 13th-century structures have been revealed.
Fortifications and ''Vorburg''
The ''Fürstenbau'' is surrounded by medieval fortifications (walls and towers), enclosing an outer ward known as ''Scherenbergzwinger'' (actually built under Bishop Otto von Wolfskeel). To the east this includes the ''Fürstengarten'', a formal Baroque garden facing the city. Entrance to the inner castle is via the Gothic ''Scherenbergtor''.
Beyond a moat, crossed by a stone bridge which in 1716 replaced the previous drawbridge, lie the outer ring of fortifications and the ''Echtersche Vorburg''. This three-wing part of the fortress includes a large horse trough in the middle of a courtyard, stables and the ''Echterbastei'' with ''Echtertor''. Most of these were built during Bishop Echter's reign and under his successors in the 17th century.
Outer court and outer bastions
The outer court is made up of the ''Neues Zeughaus'' and the ''Kommandantenhaus'' (both early 18th century). Access to this part of the fortress is by the ''Schönborntor''.
The outer
bastions surrounding the castle – ''Bastei Cesar'', ''Bastei St. Johann Nepomuk'', ''Bastei St. Johann Baptist'' and ''Bastei St. Nikolaus'' – were built under Johann Philipp von Schönborn from 1649 to 1658.
Further out, more bastions once existed, but some were built over or are now covered by parks. However, extensive outworks from the early 18th century remain around the core fortress, notably to the west. These are pierced by the inner and outer ''Höchberger Tor''.
To the south is the squat ''Maschikuliturm'', designed by
Balthasar Neumann, architect of the ''Residenz'', the last tower to be added to the fortress in the 1720s. The south-easternmost point is the bastion ''Höllenschlund''.
Today
Today, ''Festung Marienberg'' is mostly accessible to the public. This includes the ''Scherenbergtor'' (gate), the ''Burgfried'' (keep), Saint Mary's Church and the well house.
Since 1946, the Baroque ''Zeughaus'' (armory), originally built 1702-1712 but reconstructed after being destroyed in 1866 and 1945, houses the ''Museum für Franken'', formerly the ', a collection of
Franconia
Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
n works of art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period, including world-famous Gothic sculptures by
Tilman Riemenschneider. There is also a collection of earlier artefacts from Franconia, stretching back to the
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
period. Founded in 1913 as ''Fränkisches Luitpoldmuseum'' in the town, the museum's previous location was destroyed by British bombers in March 1945. In 1950–1954, the ''Echterbastei'' (also damaged in the bombing) was rebuilt and the museum expanded into this part of the fortress.
The ''Fürstenbaumuseum'' in the ''Fürstenbau'' (palas) of the fortress, established in the 1930s (originally as two museums), relates 1,200 years of the history of Würzburg and the fortress. It features the Bibra Stairs and apartments, and the Julius Echter apartments. These do not contain the original furnishments, which were either lost in the Swedish sacking of the castle or transported to the new ''Residenz'' in 1720, but period pieces. There are also exhibits of ecclesial treasures.
There are two restaurants in the fortress.
Gallery
File:119th Armored Engineer Battalion Wurzburg fortress Baily Bridge.jpg, Bailey bridge built over bombed out Old Bridge at base of Marienberg Fortress by the 119th Armored Engineer Battalion of the U.S. 12th Armored Division, April 1945
File:Marienberg festning Würzburg TRS.jpg, Fortress Marienberg,14 June 2003
File:West overview of Festung Marienberg 20140602.jpg, View from west
References
External links
Official Website
{{Authority control
Castles in Bavaria
Marienberg
Marienberg is a town in Germany. It was the district capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis (Central Ore Mountains district) in the southern part of Saxony, and since August 2008 it has been part of the new district of Erzgebirgskreis. As of ...
Marienberg
Marienberg is a town in Germany. It was the district capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis (Central Ore Mountains district) in the southern part of Saxony, and since August 2008 it has been part of the new district of Erzgebirgskreis. As of ...
Museums in Bavaria