Stickhausen Castle
Encyclopedia
Stickhausen Castle is located on the western edge of the village Stickhausen, a district of the East Frisia
n municipality Detern
in the Landkreis of Leer
in Lower Saxony
.
. This river, together with the nearby Leda forms the so-called East Frisian Mesopotamia, the Leda-Jümme area. Both rivers were important trade routes in the Middle Ages and early modern times, because they flowed in an east-west direction.
to protect their west-bound trade routes. After intense debate, the Hamburg pledged them in about 1453 to the chieftain and later to Count Ulrich I
of East Frisia. This castle was built as the replacement for the older border fortress Schlüsselburg in Detern. This fortress had been part of a border defense line against the adjacent County of Oldenburg and secured access to East Frisia. After the Schlüsselburg fortress had been destroyed and rebuilt several times, it lost its importance after the construction of Stickhausen Castle and is no longer mentioned in documents.
Sitckhausen Castle initially consisted of a stone house surrounded by a moat. In addition, it had a gatehouse and a bailey with farm buildings. A second wall and a second trench surrounded and protected the entire complex.
Count Edzard I
added the round tower around 1498. It still exists. Edzards participation in the Saxon feud
led to a siege of the castle by a coalition of princes led by George, Duke of Saxony. The caste was conquered and occupied by the coalition for three years.
After the Reformation, Countess Anna
built an outer wall
in 1558 using stones from the abandoned Barthe Abbey and from Uplengen
Castle, which had been razed in 1535 at the behest of Count Enno II
. The castle was further extended by Count Johan II
, who died at the castle in 1591.
During the Thirty Years' War
, the castle was fought over several times. In the years 1622 to 1624, the dreaded mercenary troops of the Ernst von Mansfeld
occupied the castle. They reinforced the castle by constructing several outwork
s. After von Mansfeld's troops withdrew, the counts of East Frisia held the castle for a short period, until it was occupied by Hessian troops from 1637 to 1640. They completed the expansion of the fortress by building a fortified substation as a complement to the existing ravelin
and the actual castle. The entire complex comprised at that time a three-winged main castle with corner tower, the old bailey to the gatehouse, stables, peat barn, burgrave's mansion and garrison church on the upper floor of the gatehouse, outer wall with powder tower and a ravelin on the south side, between the Jümme and the main complex. On the east side was the new substation, consisting of barracks, houses and farm buildings. In total, there were four batteries
, four in the main castle and one in the substation.
After Prussia
gained control of East Frisia in 1744, the castle no longer served any purpose and Frederick the Great
ordered it razed. Today only the large round tower from 1498 remains and traces of the fortifications. In 1822, the gatehouse was extended and converted into the bailiff's office. On the ouside wall of this building, a coat of arms dating from 1578 can be seen. The round tower was used as a prison, as well as the bailiff's residence. The former substation evolved into the village of Stickhausen. In 1885, the castle came into private hands. During the Second World War, the tower was damaged by artillery fire. In 1951, the first measures were taken to preserve the tower. Today the tower is a heritage and folk art museum. On the ground floor are the prison cells with instruments of torture such as the rack
and clamps. On the first floor of the living conditions of the prison guard are shown, while the second floor is devoted to the history of the castle. In the attic, finally, a bird and bird egg collection are on display.
East Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
n municipality Detern
Detern
Detern is a municipality in the district of Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany.The Battle of Detern was fought here in 1426....
in the Landkreis of Leer
Leer (district)
Leer is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Emden, the districts of Aurich, Wittmund, Friesland, Ammerland, Cloppenburg and Emsland, and by the Netherlands ....
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
.
Location
The castle is situated on the banks of the JümmeJümme (river)
The Jümme is a tributary of the Leda in northern Germany. Its headwaters are the Aper Tief, which flows from the Oldenburg geest, and the Soeste. The Jümme is long from its headstream, the Aper Tief, to its confluence with the Leda near Wiltshausen and is tidal...
. This river, together with the nearby Leda forms the so-called East Frisian Mesopotamia, the Leda-Jümme area. Both rivers were important trade routes in the Middle Ages and early modern times, because they flowed in an east-west direction.
Name
The name of the castle as well as the village is composed of the words Sticke (stick, pole) and Hause (house) and means a house fortified with palisades.History
Unlike the other castles of East Friesia, Stickhausen Castle was never the seat of the East Frisian chieftains. It was built around 1345 by the city of HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
to protect their west-bound trade routes. After intense debate, the Hamburg pledged them in about 1453 to the chieftain and later to Count Ulrich I
Ulrich I, Count of East Frisia
Ulrich I of East Frisia, first count of East Frisia, was a son of the chieftain Enno Edzardisna of Norden and Greetsiel, and Gela of Manslagt....
of East Frisia. This castle was built as the replacement for the older border fortress Schlüsselburg in Detern. This fortress had been part of a border defense line against the adjacent County of Oldenburg and secured access to East Frisia. After the Schlüsselburg fortress had been destroyed and rebuilt several times, it lost its importance after the construction of Stickhausen Castle and is no longer mentioned in documents.
Sitckhausen Castle initially consisted of a stone house surrounded by a moat. In addition, it had a gatehouse and a bailey with farm buildings. A second wall and a second trench surrounded and protected the entire complex.
Count Edzard I
Edzard I, Count of East Frisia
Edzard I, also Edzard the Great, was count of East Frisia from 1491 till his death in 1528.Edzard succeeded his brother Enno in 1492. He fought with George, Duke of Saxony over Friesland and Groningen...
added the round tower around 1498. It still exists. Edzards participation in the Saxon feud
Saxon feud
The Saxon feud was a confrontation between the East Frisian Count Edzard I and George, Duke of Saxony in the years 1514-1517. The war took place predominantly on East Frisian soil and destroyed large parts of the region.- Background :...
led to a siege of the castle by a coalition of princes led by George, Duke of Saxony. The caste was conquered and occupied by the coalition for three years.
After the Reformation, Countess Anna
Anna of Oldenburg
Anna of Oldenburg was a Countess consort of East Frisia as the spouse of Count Enno II of East Frisia. She was the Regent of East Frisia in 1540/42-1561 as the guardian for her minor sons. Her reign lasted until 1561 and was generally supported by the Estates...
built an outer wall
Concentric castle
A concentric castle is a castle with two or more concentric curtain walls, such that the outer wall is lower than the inner and can be defended from it. The word concentric does not imply that these castles were circular; in fact if taken too literally the term "concentric" is quite misleading...
in 1558 using stones from the abandoned Barthe Abbey and from Uplengen
Uplengen
Uplengen is a municipality in the Leer district, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Parts of the municipality:* Bühren* Großoldendorf* Großsander* Hollen* Jübberde* Klein Remels* Kleinoldendorf* Kleinsander* Meinersfehn* Neudorf* Neufirrel* Nordgeorgsfehn...
Castle, which had been razed in 1535 at the behest of Count Enno II
Enno II, Count of East Frisia
Enno II of East Frisia was the son of Edzard I of East Frisia. In 1528 he became count of East Frisia. For most of his life he ruled together with Johan I of East Frisia, who remained catholic, while Enno was lutheran....
. The castle was further extended by Count Johan II
Johan II of East Frisia
Count Johan II of East Frisia was a member of the House of Cirksena and from 1561 until his death in 1591 co-regent of the county of East Frisia...
, who died at the castle in 1591.
During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the castle was fought over several times. In the years 1622 to 1624, the dreaded mercenary troops of the Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld , was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
occupied the castle. They reinforced the castle by constructing several outwork
Outwork
An outwork is a minor defense, fortification, built or established outside the principal fortification limits, detached or semidetached. Outworks were developed in the 16th century, such as ravelins, lunettes , caponiers to shield bastions and fortification curtains from direct battery...
s. After von Mansfeld's troops withdrew, the counts of East Frisia held the castle for a short period, until it was occupied by Hessian troops from 1637 to 1640. They completed the expansion of the fortress by building a fortified substation as a complement to the existing ravelin
Ravelin
A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress...
and the actual castle. The entire complex comprised at that time a three-winged main castle with corner tower, the old bailey to the gatehouse, stables, peat barn, burgrave's mansion and garrison church on the upper floor of the gatehouse, outer wall with powder tower and a ravelin on the south side, between the Jümme and the main complex. On the east side was the new substation, consisting of barracks, houses and farm buildings. In total, there were four batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, four in the main castle and one in the substation.
After Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
gained control of East Frisia in 1744, the castle no longer served any purpose and Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
ordered it razed. Today only the large round tower from 1498 remains and traces of the fortifications. In 1822, the gatehouse was extended and converted into the bailiff's office. On the ouside wall of this building, a coat of arms dating from 1578 can be seen. The round tower was used as a prison, as well as the bailiff's residence. The former substation evolved into the village of Stickhausen. In 1885, the castle came into private hands. During the Second World War, the tower was damaged by artillery fire. In 1951, the first measures were taken to preserve the tower. Today the tower is a heritage and folk art museum. On the ground floor are the prison cells with instruments of torture such as the rack
Rack (torture)
The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one, or both, ends, having at one end a fixed bar to which the legs were fastened, and at the other a movable bar to which the hands were tied...
and clamps. On the first floor of the living conditions of the prison guard are shown, while the second floor is devoted to the history of the castle. In the attic, finally, a bird and bird egg collection are on display.