Creuzburg
Encyclopedia
Creuzburg is a town on the Werra
river in the Wartburgkreis
in Thuringia
, Germany
.
. Three mountains, Wisch, Wallstieg and Ebenauer Köpfe are near the town.
Nearby towns include Treffurt
, Mihla
, Krauthausen
and Eisenach
.
times. The beginnings of the settlement on what became the site of the castle are a result of its position on a major crossroads. The old West-East trade route met at the Werra with the trade route from the south. In the 10th and 11th Centuries, the region was under control of the Fulda Abbey.
In 1137, the city came under control of the Thuringian Ludowinger
dynasty. Landgrave Ludwig I
acquired it in exchange for a portion of the lands he held in Hesse
. Recognizing the strategic and economic importance of the area, his succeessors made improvements to the area. Landgrave Hermann I began the construction of the castle on the mountain and allowed the many farmers in the area to build the settlement at the base of the mountain. In 1213, Creuzburg was established as a city. A coat of arms was established and a defensive wall was built. The nearby town of Scherbda, which now is part of Creuzburg, was first mentioned as a settlement around a feif in 1229.
The most prosperous time in Creuzburg was during the reign of Landgrave Ludwig IV
, the Holy, and his son Hermann II. After the wedding of Ludwig with the daughter of the King of Hungary
, Elisabeth, who is now known as St. Elisabeth of Hungary
, the Castle Creuzburg became the second residence of the Thuringian Landgraves (after the Wartburg
). Many festivals were celebrated during this time, and the children of the couple were born in the castle. Ludwig redecorated the castle and built the first stone bridge across the Werra to secure the trade route. Before he left for the Crusades
in 1227, he bid farewell to his subjects in a major assembly of the Thuringian nobles in the castle.
Ludwig never returned. His brother Heinrich Raspe
acted as regent during the childhood of Ludwig's son, Hermann II. Elisabeth left Thuringia and moved back to the Hessian lands, where she later died in Marburg
. Upon reaching adulthood, Hermann began his reign as Landgrave of Thuringia and Hesse. The Castle Creuzburg remained his residence until his sudden death at the age of 18. His uncle and successor Heinrich Raspe used only the Wartburg as his residence. This was, for the city of Creuzburg as well as the castle, the end of the prosperous times. It sank in the next centuries into economic and cultural anonymity.
, is one of the top sightseeing destinations. Creuzburg also boasts the oldest bridges north of the Main.
highway from Kassel
to Eisenach
goes through Creuzburg.
Werra
The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....
river in the Wartburgkreis
Wartburgkreis
Wartburgkreis is a Kreis in the west of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Unstrut-Hainich, Gotha, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, and the districts Fulda, Hersfeld-Rotenburg and Werra-Meißner in Hesse...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Geography
Creuzburg is in the area known as the MuschelkalkMuschelkalk
The Muschelkalk is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic age and forms the middle part of the Germanic Trias, that further consists of the Buntsandstein and Keuper...
. Three mountains, Wisch, Wallstieg and Ebenauer Köpfe are near the town.
Nearby towns include Treffurt
Treffurt
Treffurt is a town in the Wartburgkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Werra, 19 km northwest of Eisenach, and 18 km southwest of Mühlhausen in the Naturpark Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal nature park. Treffurt is well known for its old beautiful villas and...
, Mihla
Mihla
Mihla is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Krauthausen
Krauthausen
Krauthausen is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany....
and Eisenach
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
.
History
With a history going back over 1,000 years, Creuzburg is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia. Hill graves in the area of the city demonstrate a settlement beginning at least as early as CarolingianCarolingian Renaissance
In the history of ideas the Carolingian Renaissance stands out as a period of intellectual and cultural revival in Europe occurring from the late eighth century, in the generation of Alcuin, to the 9th century, and the generation of Heiric of Auxerre, with the peak of the activities coordinated...
times. The beginnings of the settlement on what became the site of the castle are a result of its position on a major crossroads. The old West-East trade route met at the Werra with the trade route from the south. In the 10th and 11th Centuries, the region was under control of the Fulda Abbey.
In 1137, the city came under control of the Thuringian Ludowinger
Rulers of Thuringia
This is a list of the rulers of Thuringia, an historical and political region of Central Germany.-Kings of Thuringia:*450–500 Bisinus*500–530 Baderich*500–530 Berthachar*500–531 Herminafried*fl...
dynasty. Landgrave Ludwig I
Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia
Ludwig I or Louis I was ruler of Thuringia from 1123 to 1140.-Biography:The son of Count Louis the Springer and his wife Adelheid, he was appointed Landgrave of Thuringia by the Emperor Lothair III in 1131....
acquired it in exchange for a portion of the lands he held in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. Recognizing the strategic and economic importance of the area, his succeessors made improvements to the area. Landgrave Hermann I began the construction of the castle on the mountain and allowed the many farmers in the area to build the settlement at the base of the mountain. In 1213, Creuzburg was established as a city. A coat of arms was established and a defensive wall was built. The nearby town of Scherbda, which now is part of Creuzburg, was first mentioned as a settlement around a feif in 1229.
The most prosperous time in Creuzburg was during the reign of Landgrave Ludwig IV
Ludwig IV of Thuringia
Ludwig IV or Louis IV was the Landgrave of Thuringia from 1217 to 1227.Louis was born in Creuzburg to Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Duchess Sophia, daughter of Otto of Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria. Upon his father's death in 1216, Louis ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of...
, the Holy, and his son Hermann II. After the wedding of Ludwig with the daughter of the King of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Elisabeth, who is now known as St. Elisabeth of Hungary
Elisabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary, T.O.S.F., was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary, Countess of Thuringia, Germany and a greatly-venerated Catholic saint. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. She then became one of the first members of the newly-founded Third Order of St. Francis,...
, the Castle Creuzburg became the second residence of the Thuringian Landgraves (after the Wartburg
Wartburg
The Wartburg is a castle overlooking the town of Eisenach, Germany.Wartburg may also refer to:* Wartburgkreis, a district in Germany named after the Wartburg* Wartburg , former East German brand of automobiles, manufactured in Eisenach...
). Many festivals were celebrated during this time, and the children of the couple were born in the castle. Ludwig redecorated the castle and built the first stone bridge across the Werra to secure the trade route. Before he left for the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
in 1227, he bid farewell to his subjects in a major assembly of the Thuringian nobles in the castle.
Ludwig never returned. His brother Heinrich Raspe
Heinrich Raspe
Henry Raspe succeeded Hermann II as Landgrave of Thuringia in central Germany in 1241; he later was elected anti-king in 1246–1247 in opposition to Conrad IV of Germany....
acted as regent during the childhood of Ludwig's son, Hermann II. Elisabeth left Thuringia and moved back to the Hessian lands, where she later died in Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
. Upon reaching adulthood, Hermann began his reign as Landgrave of Thuringia and Hesse. The Castle Creuzburg remained his residence until his sudden death at the age of 18. His uncle and successor Heinrich Raspe used only the Wartburg as his residence. This was, for the city of Creuzburg as well as the castle, the end of the prosperous times. It sank in the next centuries into economic and cultural anonymity.
Tourism
The Creuzburg Castle, which was a residence of the Ludowing dynasty and a favorite visiting place of St. Elisabeth of HungaryElisabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary, T.O.S.F., was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary, Countess of Thuringia, Germany and a greatly-venerated Catholic saint. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. She then became one of the first members of the newly-founded Third Order of St. Francis,...
, is one of the top sightseeing destinations. Creuzburg also boasts the oldest bridges north of the Main.
Economy
Beside several hotels and restaurants Creuzburg is also the head office of the Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH & CO. KG. The company is the largest and most efficient hardwood sawmill worldwide.Transportation
The B 7Bundesstraße 7
The Bundesstraße 7 in Germany is a federal highway that stretches from the Dutch border at Venlo in the West to Rochlitz by Chemnitz in the East. It is approximately 530 km long...
highway from Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
to Eisenach
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
goes through Creuzburg.
Famous residents
- Ludwig IV of ThuringiaLudwig IV of ThuringiaLudwig IV or Louis IV was the Landgrave of Thuringia from 1217 to 1227.Louis was born in Creuzburg to Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Duchess Sophia, daughter of Otto of Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria. Upon his father's death in 1216, Louis ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of...
(1200–1227), Count of Thuringia - St. Elisabeth of Hungary (1207–1231), wife of Ludwig IV
- Michael PraetoriusMichael PraetoriusMichael Praetorius was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
(1571–1621), composer
Literature
- Rainer Schill, Astrid Thiel: Creuzburg an der Werra: Bilder aus vergangenen Tagen. Geiger-Verlag, ISBN 3-89264-743-7
- Rat der Stadt Creuzburg (Hg.): Creuzburg. 775 Jahre Stadt Creuzburg. 1213-1988. Aus der Geschichte der Stadt. Druckerei Fortschritt Erfurt, 1988.
- Horst Schmidt, Hans-Henning Walter: Creuzburg - Geschichte des Creuzburger Salzwerks. Eisenacher Schriften zur Heimatkunde 39. Eisenach, 1988.
External links
- http://www.creuzburg-online.de Fremdenverkehrsverein Creuzburg e.V. (German)
- http://www.geschichte-wak.de/creuzburg.htm Town History (German)
- http://www.creuzburg-werra.de Private Page About Creuzburg (German)
- http://www.dirk-oberschelp.de/creuzburg.htm Photo Gallery (German)
- http://www.360creuzburg.de 360 Degree Views (German)
- http://www.pollmeier.com