Alte Burg (Osterode)
Encyclopedia
The Alte Burg is a ruined castle
that only comprises half a keep
(Bergfried
), and is located in the Lower Saxon district of Osterode
in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The name means "Old Castle".
and Lerbach
. Today the ruins find themselves within a cemetery. The castle ruins cannot actually be visited even though access through the cemetery is possible.
. After his death, his son, Otto IV inherited it. Later he bequeathed it to Otto the Child. Other owners were Albert the Tall and Henry the Admirable. In the 14th and 15th centuries the castle became the seat of the dukes of Grubenhagen and was used as a dowager seat for the family. It was last lived in by Duchess Elisabeth who died in 1513. After that it fell into ruins.
Ruined Castle
The Ruined Castle is a famous rock formation in the Jamison Valley area of the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales, Australia. It is reached by a track which begins at the Golden Stairs, near Katoomba, and heads south-east towards the lower slopes of Mount Solitary. Nearby is the sealed opening of...
that only comprises half a keep
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 residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
(Bergfried
Bergfried
A bergfried is a tall tower typically found in medieval castles in German-speaking countries . Its defensive function is to some extent similar to that of a keep or donjon in English or French castles...
), and is located in the Lower Saxon district of Osterode
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The name means "Old Castle".
Location
The ruins stand on a hill spur between the valleys of the rivers SöseSöse
The Söse is a right tributary of the river Rhume, 38 kilometres long, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The river rises on the plateau of Auf dem Acker in the district of Osterode in the southwestern part of the Harz Mountains in Germany...
and Lerbach
Lerbach (Söse)
Lerbach is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany....
. Today the ruins find themselves within a cemetery. The castle ruins cannot actually be visited even though access through the cemetery is possible.
Site
Of the old castle on a site measuring 40 x 60 metres, only a small part of the keep has survived. The greater part of the castle was used as a quarry and much of the stone was carried away. The remaining tower ruins were extensively repaired. Originally the round keep was 33 metres high and had an outside diameter of 15 metres. Its walls were up to 3.5 metres thick and it had 5 stories.History
The castle was first recorded in 1153. It belonged in the 12th century to Henry the LionHenry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
. After his death, his son, Otto IV inherited it. Later he bequeathed it to Otto the Child. Other owners were Albert the Tall and Henry the Admirable. In the 14th and 15th centuries the castle became the seat of the dukes of Grubenhagen and was used as a dowager seat for the family. It was last lived in by Duchess Elisabeth who died in 1513. After that it fell into ruins.
Source
- Ernst Andreas Friedrich: Wenn Steine reden könnten. Band IV, Landbuch-Verlag, Hanover, 1998, ISBN 3-7842-0558-5
External links
- Webcam on the castle
- Legend: "How the Castle Became a Ruin"
- Website of Osterode
- Reports about the Alte Burg - Heimatstube Freiheit e.V.
- Alte Burg at karstwanderweg.de
- Alte Burg, safety and renovation at karstwanderweg.de