Falkenstein Castle, Germany

 

Falkenstein Castle (Burg Falkenstein) is a medieval hilltop castle in the Harz Mountains. It belongs to the Pansfelde district of the town of Falkenstein/Harz, district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

The basic structure was built around the middle of the 12th century. In the following centuries there were repeated structural changes. The Falkenstein Castle Museum has existed since 1946. With the establishment of the Palaces, Castles and Gardens Foundation of the State of Saxony-Anhalt (today the Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Foundation) in 1996, the Falkenstein became part of the foundation's assets. In 1998 the foundation took over the operation of the museum.

Geographical location
Falkenstein Castle is located in the Lower Harz Mountains in the Harz Nature Park. It is located between Mägdesprung (northern part of Harzgerode) and Meisdorf (south-west part of Falkenstein/Harz) on a rocky ridge (approx. 320 m above sea level) south of and above the Thalmühle in the Selke valley. In a wooded landscape, it is surrounded by the Selketal nature reserve, about 1.3 km west-northwest of the Falkensteiner Weilers Gartenhaus, which is located on the state road 230 between the villages of Meisdorf and Pansfelde.

About 1.8 km west-southwest are the stables of Alter Falkenstein Castle.

 

History

The complex was built between 1120 and 1180 and has been modified many times since then, but has retained the character of a medieval castle complex. Due to its favorable location, it could never be conquered.

Falkenstein Castle owes its existence to legend after a murder: in a dispute around 1080, Egeno II of Konradsburg killed Count Adalbert II of Ballenstedt, after which the murderer's ancestral seat was to be converted into a monastery. The son of Egenos, Burchard von Konradsburg, then had the new Falkenstein Castle built. A Benedictine monastery was founded on the Konradsburg after 1120. The Konradsburgers now called themselves Counts of Falkenstein.

During the reign of Prince Heinrich von Anhalt, the Anhalt Minister Eike von Repgow from Reppichau wrote the Sachsenspiegel here after 1220, the first German law book. The book is dedicated to the client Hoyer von Falkenstein. In 1437 the castle came as a fief from the diocese of Halberstadt to the brothers Busso and Bernd IV from the Asseburg family, who owned the Meisdorf castle and palace until it was expropriated after the Second World War.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the lords of Asseburg developed a lively building activity. Count Bernd VI is considered one of the most important Falkensteiner builders. von der Asseburg-Falkenstein (approx. 1451–1518/1524?), who had the south wing of the castle completely rebuilt at the time. A coat of arms still preserved today refers to him: 'Bernt van der Asseborch 1491'. Bernd VI. is considered a dark personality, he is said to have broken the peace and assassinated, among other things. The Harz legend of Tidian is linked to him, in which Bernd had a poor shepherd blinded out of greed for gold.

Further construction work took place under Augustus von der Asseburg in 1592, about a hundred years after Bernd's time. In that year, the Thalmühle was built in the Selketal below. During the Thirty Years' War from October 1642 to February 1643, the castle was under Swedish occupation.

By burying parts of the family treasure on the Tormannswiese in 1943 and hiding further parts in the spinning hall at Falkenstein Castle in spring 1945 on a windowless mezzanine floor, the two brothers and Counts Lothar von Asseburg (1914-1984) and Karl-Christoph von Rothkirch (1920 –2006) important parts of the family treasure, including the Asseburger mug. The buried treasure was found in 1990 and the mezzanine opened in 1992. Around 3,000 items were secured in the hiding place at Castle Falkenstein alone. After a long legal battle, most of the pieces were awarded to the family and then sold. A smaller part remained on permanent loan at the castle.

 

Todays use

Today the castle with the museum is one of the most popular destinations in the Harz Mountains. It is part of the Romanesque Road. Here you will find, among other things, a falconry and a gastronomy that also offers traditional knight's meals. Since 2006, a "Minneturnier" has been held at the castle every summer in the tradition of a medieval singing competition, in which well-known singers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy can be heard. The “Burgfest” takes place every year at the beginning of October.

A signposted hiking trail, on which there is also a railway, leads from a car park two kilometers away to the castle.

Falkenstein Castle is included as number 200 in the system of stamping points for the Harzer hiking nobility.