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.
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.
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.