74 Wasserburg Heldrungen

 

74 Water Castle in Heldrungen

 

Originally built as a wooden refuge castle for the residents of the nearby Roter Hof manor, the first castle complex was established here in the late 12th century.

The first documented mention dates back to 1126, when the castle was owned by the Lords of Heldrungen.

Around 1190, the first stone Romanesque castle was constructed.

Between 1512 and 1518, Count Ernst II commissioned the construction of a four-wing Renaissance palace.

In the years following 1519, extensive fortifications were added, including 12 round bastions, two defensive rings, and a double moat surrounding the castle.

This transformation turned the water castle into a fortress, which was considered impregnable at the time.

The combination of the palace and the independent fortress belt reflects the influence of the early Renaissance in Saxony and is an early example of a bastioned castle.

During the Peasants’ War (1525), the fortress served as a refuge for the regional nobility.

After the Battle of Frankenhausen (1525), peasant leader Thomas Müntzer was imprisoned here.

During the Thirty Years’ War, on October 23, 1632, the fortress was conquered by Wallenstein’s troops.

By 1680, the fortress lost its strategic importance and began to decline. Following the Congress of Vienna (1815), Heldrungen and its fortress became part of the Kingdom of Prussia.

In 1860, due to its lack of military significance, the fortress was removed from the Prussian list of fortifications.

Extensive restoration work began in 1974. Today, Heldrungen Water Castle is the only fully preserved fortified water castle of French fortification design in Germany.

 

Contact:

Schillerstraße 16
06577 Heldrungen
Phone: 034673 91230