Grillenburg (Harz)
Encyclopedia
The Grillenburg is a ruined medieval castle
in Grillenberg in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
. It was a small knight's castle built for a ministerialis
.
tithe register (Hersfelder Zehntverzeichnis). At that time there is no indication of a castle, however. The latter was first recorded when, in 1217, a certain Tidericus de Grellenberch is named as a vassal of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg
. The lower parts of the walls of the ruin, made of large rusticated ashlars, must date back to the original Romanesque
fortification. In 1286 the marshal
s (Burgmannen) from the Muser and von Morungen families are named.
In 1347 the Margrave of Meißen, Frederick the Serious, purchased the estate back from the Duke of Brunswick
who by then were the joint landlords together with the Margraviate of Landsberg
. During the Halberstadt Bishops' Feud, which was prosecuted by Bishop Albert II of Brunswick (1325-1358) against territorial lords within the Harz region, mainly against the counts of Regenstein
, the castle was fought over. It was captured by the Count of Mansfeld in 1362. It is possible that the fieldwork about 100 metres east of the castle was established at that time as a counterwork (Gegenbefestigung).
The second phase of construction recognisable in the wall materials and characterised by brickwork is assessed by the sources as dating to the 14th century.
In 1366 Duke Magnus of Brunswick was the owner of the castle. He exercised from here his rights of patronage over Sittichenbach Abbey
. In 1485 the castle once more belonged to the prince-elector
, Ernest of Saxony. From him it went into the hands of the Count of Mansfeld.
From at least 1486 the lords of Morungen were vassals at the castle. In 1547 on the death of George of Morungen the lordship fell as an expired fief to the Saxon district (Amt of Sangerhausen. At that time the castle was already falling into decay. The date when it was finally abandoned is unknown.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Grillenberg in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. It was a small knight's castle built for a ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
.
History
The village of Grillenberg was mentioned as early as 880/890 in the HersfeldHersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey was an important Benedictine imperial abbey in the town of Bad Hersfeld in Hesse , Germany, at the confluence of the rivers Geisa, Haune and Fulda.-History:...
tithe register (Hersfelder Zehntverzeichnis). At that time there is no indication of a castle, however. The latter was first recorded when, in 1217, a certain Tidericus de Grellenberch is named as a vassal of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
. The lower parts of the walls of the ruin, made of large rusticated ashlars, must date back to the original Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque may refer to:*Romanesque art, the art of Western Europe from approximately AD 1000 to the 13th century or later*Romanesque architecture, architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and lasted to the 13th century...
fortification. In 1286 the marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
s (Burgmannen) from the Muser and von Morungen families are named.
In 1347 the Margrave of Meißen, Frederick the Serious, purchased the estate back from the Duke of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
who by then were the joint landlords together with the Margraviate of Landsberg
Margraviate of Landsberg
The Margraviate of Landsberg was a march of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 12th to the 14th century. It was named after Landsberg Castle in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
. During the Halberstadt Bishops' Feud, which was prosecuted by Bishop Albert II of Brunswick (1325-1358) against territorial lords within the Harz region, mainly against the counts of Regenstein
House of Regenstein
The House of Regenstein, also Reinstein, was a Lower Saxon family of counts, which was named after the eponymous Regenstein Castle near Blankenburg on the edge of the Harz Mountains of central Germany.- History :...
, the castle was fought over. It was captured by the Count of Mansfeld in 1362. It is possible that the fieldwork about 100 metres east of the castle was established at that time as a counterwork (Gegenbefestigung).
The second phase of construction recognisable in the wall materials and characterised by brickwork is assessed by the sources as dating to the 14th century.
In 1366 Duke Magnus of Brunswick was the owner of the castle. He exercised from here his rights of patronage over Sittichenbach Abbey
Sittichenbach Abbey
Sittichenbach Abbey , sometimes also known as Sichem Abbey, is a Cistercian monastery in Sittichenbach, now part of Osterhausen near Eisleben in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-First foundation:...
. In 1485 the castle once more belonged to the prince-elector
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
, Ernest of Saxony. From him it went into the hands of the Count of Mansfeld.
From at least 1486 the lords of Morungen were vassals at the castle. In 1547 on the death of George of Morungen the lordship fell as an expired fief to the Saxon district (Amt of Sangerhausen. At that time the castle was already falling into decay. The date when it was finally abandoned is unknown.
Sources
- Friedrich Stolberg: Befestigungsanlagen im und am Harz von der Frühgeschichte bis zur Neuzeit. Verlag Lax, Hildesheim 1983
- Georg DehioGeorg DehioGeorg Gottfried Julius Dehio , was a Baltic German art historian ....
: Handbuch der Kunstdenkmäler. Der Bezirk Halle. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1976 - Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Provinz Sachsen Anhalt. Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart 1987
- Hermann Wäscher: Feudalburgen in den Bezirken Halle und Magdeburg. Henschelverlag Kunst und Gesellschaft, Berlin 1962
- Paul GrimmPaul GrimmPaul Grimm was an artist born to German parents in South Africa, elsewhere South America, during 1892. As a small child, he moved with his parents to the U.S. He reportedly was seen as having artistic talent as a child and, as an adult, attended a university-level art school in New York...
: Die vor- und frühgeschichtlichen Burgwälle der Bezirke Halle und Magdeburg. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1958