Stolzenfels Castle
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(August 2014) |
| Stolzenfels Castle | |
|---|---|
Schloss Stolzenfels | |
 Stolzenfels Castle | |
  Stolzenfels Castle Location within Rhineland-Palatinate  Stolzenfels Castle Stolzenfels Castle (Germany) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Schloss |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Town or city | Koblenz |
| Country | Germany |
| Coordinates | 50°18′11″N7°35′31″E/ 50.303°N 7.592°E |
| Construction started | 1836 (today's palace) |
| Completed | 1842 |
| Inaugurated | 14 September 1842 |
| Renovated | 2011 |
| Client | Frederick William IV of Prussia(renovation) |
| Owner | Rhineland-PalatinateGeneraldirektion Kulturelles Erbe |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Johann Claudius von Lassaulxand others |
| Website | |
| http://schloss-stolzenfels.de/ | |
| Part of | Upper Middle Rhine Valley |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iv)(v) |
| Reference | 1066 |
| Inscription | 2002 (26thSession) |
Stolzenfels Castle(German:Schloss Stolzenfels) is a former medieval fortress castle ( "Burg" ) turned into a palace, nearKoblenzon the left bank of the Rhine, in the state ofRhineland-Palatinate,Germany.Stolzenfels was a ruined 13th-century castle, gifted to thePrussiancrown prince,Frederick Williamin 1823. He had it rebuilt as a 19th-century palace inGothic Revival style.Today, it is part of theUNESCOWorld Heritage SiteUpper Middle Rhine Valley.
History[edit]
The original castle at Stolzenfels was built as a fortification by thePrince-Bishop of Trier,thenArnold II. von Isenburg.[1]Finished in 1259, Stolzenfels was used to protect the toll station on theRhine,where the ships, at the time the main means of transportation for goods, had to stop and pay toll (later moved to Engers).
Over the years it was extended several times (notably in the 14th century), occupied by French and Swedish troops in theThirty Years' Warand finally, in 1689, destroyed by the French during theNine Years' War.[1]
The ruin was used as a quarry during the 18th century.
In 1802, the castle became the property of the city ofKoblenz.In 1823, the ruined castle was given as a gift by the city to the then Crown Prince of Prussia, the futureFrederick William IV of Prussia.In 1822, the Rhineland had become aprovinceof Prussia. Frederick William had traveled along the Rhine in 1815, the year when theCongress of Viennaawarded several Princedoms in the area to Prussia, and had been fascinated by the beauty, romance and history of the region. In the spirit ofRomanticism,Frederick William now had the castle rebuilt as a Gothic Revival palace, inspired by his cousinFrederick'srebuilding of nearbyRheinstein Castleand his cousinMaximilian II of Bavaria's romantic renovation ofHohenschwangau Castle.
By 1842, the main buildings and the gardens were finished. On 14 September of that year, Frederick Wiliam, since 1840 King of Prussia, inaugurated his new summer residence in a great celebration with a torchlight procession and medieval costumes.[1]
Inauguration of the Gothic chapel occurred in 1845 duringa visitbyQueen Victoria(who began to buildOsborne Housethe same year andBalmoral Castlethree years later). Work on the interior of Stolzenfels castle was completed in 1850.[citation needed]
Among those who had worked on the designs for the palace and the gardens wereJohann Claudius von Lassaulx,Karl Friedrich Schinkel(draft),Friedrich August Stüler(building) andPeter Joseph Lenné(garden).[1][2]Stüler was later also commissioned to rebuildHohenzollern Castlein Swabia for the king (1850–67).
After the First World War, the castle became state-owned. After the Second World War, it was assigned to theLandesamt für Denkmalpflege – Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser,today:Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Burgen Schlösser Altertümer.
World Heritage Site[edit]
In 2002, theUpper Middle Rhine Valleybecame aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.The Site includes Stolzenfels.[3]
Today[edit]
After substantial renovation work the castle and its parks were reopened in 2011. The castle is open to the public.[1]
Gallery[edit]
-
Guard house -
Castle chapel -
View of the Rhine through one of the stained glass windows -
Pergola garden -
Donjon -
Adjutant tower -
The castle in its landscape on a late 19th-century postcard
References[edit]
- ^abcde"Das Schloss (German)".Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz.Retrieved4 August2014.
- ^"Das Schloss (German)".Förderverein Schloss Stolzenfels e.V.Retrieved4 August2014.
- ^"Map of the WHS".UNESCO.Retrieved16 July2014.
Bibliography[edit]
- Pecht, A.,Schloss Stolzenfels(German), Publisher: Burgen Schlösser Altertümer Rheinland-Pfalz,Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Rheinland-Pfalz,Schnell & Steiner, 2011,ISBN978-3-7954-1974-5
External links[edit]
- Schloss Stolzenfels-(in German)
50°18′12″N7°35′33″E/ 50.3032°N 7.59242°E
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
- 1259 establishments in Europe
- Buildings and structures completed in 1259
- 1250s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
- 13th-century fortifications
- Houses completed in 1842
- 1842 establishments in Prussia
- Castles in Rhineland-Palatinate
- Museums in Rhineland-Palatinate
- Historic house museums in Germany
- Gardens in Rhineland-Palatinate
- Karl Friedrich Schinkel buildings
- Frederick William IV of Prussia
- Gothic Revival architecture in Germany