Güntersburg
Encyclopedia
The ruined castle of Güntersburg stands about 2 km southwest of Güntersberge
in the Harz Mountains of central Germany
.
The ruins are located on the 485 m Hoher Kohlberg hill in the Selke
valley. The castle site is very large and has an area of about 3 hectares (7.4 acre). It was probably a fortified settlement with a medieval castle. To the northwest the site was protected by a rampart
and a 150 m long ditch
, whose scale can still be easily made out today. To the southeast the site is bounded by the hillside that falls steeply into the Selke valley.
Of the former buildings only a few foundation walls are recognisable. Still easy to make out are the foundation walls of the two gatehouse towers
. Little is known of its history. First mentioned around 1326, the site had already been devastated by about 1600. Its former owners were the lords of Knedtlingen and the counts of Stolberg. The castle was probably built in the 11th century.
According to legend, the castle was once occupied by robber baron
s and one of their victims, the daughter of a merchant, is still supposed to appear as a white apparition today to those venturing near to the castle at night. The bunch of keys she carries with her was once supposed to had brought a curse on a monk.
Güntersberge
Güntersberge is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009 it has been part of the borough of Harzgerode.- Geography :...
in the Harz Mountains of central 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...
.
The ruins are located on the 485 m Hoher Kohlberg hill in the Selke
Selke
-People:*Frank J. Selke, Canadian hockey manager*Margrit Selke, Agriculturist*Walter Selke, German physicist-Awards:*Frank J. Selke Trophy *Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy -Other uses:...
valley. The castle site is very large and has an area of about 3 hectares (7.4 acre). It was probably a fortified settlement with a medieval castle. To the northwest the site was protected by a rampart
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and a 150 m long ditch
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, whose scale can still be easily made out today. To the southeast the site is bounded by the hillside that falls steeply into the Selke valley.
Of the former buildings only a few foundation walls are recognisable. Still easy to make out are the foundation walls of the two gatehouse towers
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
. Little is known of its history. First mentioned around 1326, the site had already been devastated by about 1600. Its former owners were the lords of Knedtlingen and the counts of Stolberg. The castle was probably built in the 11th century.
According to legend, the castle was once occupied by robber baron
Robber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
s and one of their victims, the daughter of a merchant, is still supposed to appear as a white apparition today to those venturing near to the castle at night. The bunch of keys she carries with her was once supposed to had brought a curse on a monk.