Konradsburg
Encyclopedia
The Konradsburg is a former castle, monastery and manor house near Ermsleben in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt
.
) or great hall (Palas) to indicate that it was a fortified castle site.
s left this fortified hill spur, which lies about 3 kilometres south of Ermsleben and about eight kilometres west of Aschersleben
, built Falkenstein Castle
in the Selke
valley and called themselves Falkensteins from 1142. On the Konradsburg a Benedictine
abbey was founded which became the spiritual and economic centre of the area for several centuries. According to tradition, the conversion of the castle into a monastery had been a reparation imposed on Egeno II of Konradsburg
for murdering Count Adalbert II of Ballenstedt around 1080.
As a result of the Peasants' War
, the monks (who had been part of the Carthusian
order since 1477) gave up the monastery of Konradsburg in 1526. Existing structural and excavated remains have revealed the extent of the former monastery. Of the original three-aisled Romanesque basilica
, the high chancel
and its underlying crypt
have been preserved. Despite its simplicity, the chancel conveys a sense of the impressive size of the ancient basilica. The crypt is a five-aisled, groined vault, supported by columns and pillars. Capitals and imposts, decorated with architectural ornaments (Bauzier) showing a wide range of influences (eg Rhenish-French), are testimony to the architecture of the 1200s. The main features of the buildings next to the church can be made out from the east and north wing of the enclosure (Klausur).
(Eselstretrad). The other buildings were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries for agricultural purposes.
. The decline of the site was halted and part of it was opened to the public. On 1 June 1990 the initiative of the Society for the Promotion of the Konradsburg (Förderkreis Konradsburg) was founded to look after the castle site. In the years that followed, several endangered historic buildings in the vicinity were also taken over by the society, renovated and utilised, for example, the tower windmill at Endorf, the old brick factory at Wieserode and the forester's house at Friedrichshohenberg. In 1994 the society was accepted by UNESCO
into its Treasures of the World project. Since 2003 the society has run a sheep-farming business at the foot of the castle. The Konradsburg is a stop on the Romanesque Road.
The Konradsburg remains open to the public and has a cafe. It is also checkpoint 201 on the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking trail network.
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...
.
Castle
Konradsburg was first mentioned in 1021 and was originally built to protect the imperial estate (Reichsgut) of the Harz. However it has no fortified towers, keep (bergfriedBergfried
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...
) or great hall (Palas) to indicate that it was a fortified castle site.
Monastery
After 1120, the KonradsburgEgeno I of Konradsburg
Egeno I of Konradsburg was one of the free knights of Konradsburg, in the northeast of the Harz region of Germany, near Ermsleben....
s left this fortified hill spur, which lies about 3 kilometres south of Ermsleben and about eight kilometres west of Aschersleben
Aschersleben
Aschersleben is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km east of Quedlinburg, and 45 km northwest of Halle .-Pre-20th century:...
, built Falkenstein Castle
Falkenstein Castle (Harz)
Falkenstein Castle is a German castle in the Harz mountains dating to the High Middle Ages period. It is located in the town of Falkenstein/Harz between Aschersleben and Harzgerode.- Location :...
in the Selke
Selke (river)
The Selke is a right tributary of the River Bode that rises in the Harz Mountains of central Germany and runs through the northeastern Harz Foreland in the state of Saxony-Anhalt...
valley and called themselves Falkensteins from 1142. On the Konradsburg a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey was founded which became the spiritual and economic centre of the area for several centuries. According to tradition, the conversion of the castle into a monastery had been a reparation imposed on Egeno II of Konradsburg
Egeno II of Konradsburg
Egeno II of Konradsburg was a free knight of Konradsburg, in the northeast of the Harz region in Central Germany, near Ermsleben....
for murdering Count Adalbert II of Ballenstedt around 1080.
As a result of the Peasants' War
Peasants' War
The Peasants' War was a popular revolt that took place in Europe during 1524–1525...
, the monks (who had been part of the Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
order since 1477) gave up the monastery of Konradsburg in 1526. Existing structural and excavated remains have revealed the extent of the former monastery. Of the original three-aisled Romanesque basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
, the high chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and its underlying crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
have been preserved. Despite its simplicity, the chancel conveys a sense of the impressive size of the ancient basilica. The crypt is a five-aisled, groined vault, supported by columns and pillars. Capitals and imposts, decorated with architectural ornaments (Bauzier) showing a wide range of influences (eg Rhenish-French), are testimony to the architecture of the 1200s. The main features of the buildings next to the church can be made out from the east and north wing of the enclosure (Klausur).
Manor house
In 1712 the Konradsburg was put to agricultural use as the manor house for an estate, or Domäne, until 1945. In the centre of the old cloister stands the well house, a two-storey, timber-framed building, probably from the 18th century. The well is over 45 metres deep, probably dating to the time of the monastery and has a technical showpiece - a donkey ginHorse mill
A horse mill is a mill that uses a horse as the power source. Any milling process can be powered in this way, but the most frequent use of animal power in horse mills was for grinding grain and pumping water. Other animals used for powering mills include dogs, donkeys and oxen. Engines powered by...
(Eselstretrad). The other buildings were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries for agricultural purposes.
Post 1945
After 1945, it was used for a short time for agricultural purposes by a private farmer. Efforts by the town of Ermsleben and the Catholic Church in Aschersleben were unable, under the circumstances prevailing at the time (the site lay in Communist East Germany), to prevent the increasing neglect and dilapidation of Konradsburg in the 1970s, a time characterised by a rapid decline in its appearance.Conservation and tourism
Since 1982 young people have been involved in the conservation of the Konradsburg. From 1984 to 1988 it was supported by students of the Faculty of Art Science of the Humboldt University of BerlinHumboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. The decline of the site was halted and part of it was opened to the public. On 1 June 1990 the initiative of the Society for the Promotion of the Konradsburg (Förderkreis Konradsburg) was founded to look after the castle site. In the years that followed, several endangered historic buildings in the vicinity were also taken over by the society, renovated and utilised, for example, the tower windmill at Endorf, the old brick factory at Wieserode and the forester's house at Friedrichshohenberg. In 1994 the society was accepted by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
into its Treasures of the World project. Since 2003 the society has run a sheep-farming business at the foot of the castle. The Konradsburg is a stop on the Romanesque Road.
The Konradsburg remains open to the public and has a cafe. It is also checkpoint 201 on the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking trail network.