6 Nov 2009
Hanstein Castle: First Impressions and Early History
Hanstein seen from the southeast
Inner curtain wall and connected hall with natural stone foundations
The Hanstein is quite different from the Plesse. For one, while it has two curtain walls, there is no clearly distinguished outer ward, but the entire living complex is behind the inner wall. Second, a lot more of the buildings remains, an interesting maze of roofless walls in various stages of crumbling. Often two to three storeys are left, and some of the towers stand amost to full height.
One of the many views from inside the bailey ruins
Castle Hanstein had been in possession of Otto of Northeim and later Henry the Lion of Saxony in the 11th and 12th century. At that time, the inner bailey was still a wooden construction. In 1308, the brothers Heinrich and Lippold of Hanstein were granted the right to build a new stone castle. They had to pay for it, and in exchange the family held the hereditary right to the fief. The family still exists today.
The construction of the Hanstein was finished in 1414; afterwards only small changes took place. The castle was partly destroyed in the Thirty Years War, and while repairs were made, it yet was abandoned in 1683. I suppose one of the reasons was the changing life style - castles no longer offered sufficient protection, and palaces in the valleys were more comfortable and probably warmer. Constance owes me some really good chocolate cookies for the pics - there was an icy blast and my hands got very cold. :)
A view of the inner towers, main hall and various annexes from the west
When interest in the old times grew in the 19th century, the main hall of the Hanstein was rebuilt in 1840, and further repair went on in the early 20th century, and then again since 1985.
The palas sitting on bedrock
The Hanstein first appeared in historical documents when the chronicler Lambert of Hersfeld notes that it belonged to Otto of Northeim but was destroyed by the Emperor Heinrich IV during their feud. But Otto obviously didn't lose the property as such and must have rebuilt the castle when he made peace with Heinrich, because it was part of the dowry his granddaughter Richenza brought into her marriage with Lothar of Süpplingenburg. Later it came into possession of their grandson, Heinrich 'the Lion' Duke of Saxony.
During the time of Heinrich the Lion, a certain Boppo of Hanstein is mentioned in documents a few times, 1145 as Boppo of Hanstein or Hanenstein, 1151 and 1170 as Boppo Count of Hanstein. If this is the same man and not a son with the same name, he held the castle a fairly long time and must have been one of Heinrich's trusted vassals.
Another view of the palas
The castle did not play a significant role during the war between Heinrich of Saxony and the Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, and we don't know Boppo's fate. When Heinrich returned from his exile in England in 1185, he was given back his allodial possessions around Braunschweig and Lüneburg, but not the duchy of Bavaria and the lands he had held from Friedrich as vassal. Since the Hanstein was part of the inheritance of his oldest son, Heinrich Count Palatine of the Rhine, it must have been an allodial property. During a division of the allodial possessions of the House Welfen in 1202, the castle came to Heinrich the Lion's youngest son, Otto IV.
The next part of the history of the Hanstein involves the archdiocese of Mainz which held lands all over the place, even in Thuringia (the Eichsfeld) far away from the Rhine. Archbishop Siegfried of Mainz was interested in getting his hands on a castle that protected a Werra ford on the way to his possessions farther east. Otto IV, who faced a lot of opposition on his way to become Holy Roman Emperor, needed a favour and thus agreed to give the Hanstein to Siegfried (1209).
Rocks and stoes
The next time the Hanstein appears a chronicle is 1236 when a vassal of the archbishop of Mainz, one Hethenricus of Hanstein (spelled Hanenstene) is mentioned. His family came from Apolda and was in a feudal relationship to Mainz since at least 1150 when they appeared as bailiffs of lands in the Eichsfeld. The now held the fief of Hanstein and took their name from the place. I don't think they are related to the above mentioned Boppo Count of Hanstein because the archbishop would have prefered to install one of his own vassals in the castle.
A sidenote: The Eichsfeld is still a Catholic enclave in lands that nowadays are mostly Protestant. They get some extra holidays which they spent on shopping tours in the surrounding Protestant towns. I've already mentioned the Eichsfeld in a post about Heiligenstadt, another of those pretty, little German towns with some old churches.
I could see the towers of the castle above the trees for years without being able to visit it. In the 80ies, my parents lived in a small town south of Göttingen, and both road and railway between the towns ran close to the German border. Castle Hanstein was on the East German side and thus out of reach.
Of course, we had visited it as soon as the passage was open, and it was pretty impressive already then. Efforts to prevent further decay and some renovations had been going on, partly financed by West Germany. Today, more parts are accesible, and the great hall has been repaired and is used for concerts sometimes. So when after several days of autumn mists the sun played nice yesterday, I decided to give it another look, accompanied by my faithful camera.
The Hanstein is quite different from the Plesse. For one, while it has two curtain walls, there is no clearly distinguished outer ward, but the entire living complex is behind the inner wall. Second, a lot more of the buildings remains, an interesting maze of roofless walls in various stages of crumbling. Often two to three storeys are left, and some of the towers stand amost to full height.
Castle Hanstein had been in possession of Otto of Northeim and later Henry the Lion of Saxony in the 11th and 12th century. At that time, the inner bailey was still a wooden construction. In 1308, the brothers Heinrich and Lippold of Hanstein were granted the right to build a new stone castle. They had to pay for it, and in exchange the family held the hereditary right to the fief. The family still exists today.
The construction of the Hanstein was finished in 1414; afterwards only small changes took place. The castle was partly destroyed in the Thirty Years War, and while repairs were made, it yet was abandoned in 1683. I suppose one of the reasons was the changing life style - castles no longer offered sufficient protection, and palaces in the valleys were more comfortable and probably warmer. Constance owes me some really good chocolate cookies for the pics - there was an icy blast and my hands got very cold. :)
When interest in the old times grew in the 19th century, the main hall of the Hanstein was rebuilt in 1840, and further repair went on in the early 20th century, and then again since 1985.
The Hanstein first appeared in historical documents when the chronicler Lambert of Hersfeld notes that it belonged to Otto of Northeim but was destroyed by the Emperor Heinrich IV during their feud. But Otto obviously didn't lose the property as such and must have rebuilt the castle when he made peace with Heinrich, because it was part of the dowry his granddaughter Richenza brought into her marriage with Lothar of Süpplingenburg. Later it came into possession of their grandson, Heinrich 'the Lion' Duke of Saxony.
During the time of Heinrich the Lion, a certain Boppo of Hanstein is mentioned in documents a few times, 1145 as Boppo of Hanstein or Hanenstein, 1151 and 1170 as Boppo Count of Hanstein. If this is the same man and not a son with the same name, he held the castle a fairly long time and must have been one of Heinrich's trusted vassals.
The castle did not play a significant role during the war between Heinrich of Saxony and the Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, and we don't know Boppo's fate. When Heinrich returned from his exile in England in 1185, he was given back his allodial possessions around Braunschweig and Lüneburg, but not the duchy of Bavaria and the lands he had held from Friedrich as vassal. Since the Hanstein was part of the inheritance of his oldest son, Heinrich Count Palatine of the Rhine, it must have been an allodial property. During a division of the allodial possessions of the House Welfen in 1202, the castle came to Heinrich the Lion's youngest son, Otto IV.
The next part of the history of the Hanstein involves the archdiocese of Mainz which held lands all over the place, even in Thuringia (the Eichsfeld) far away from the Rhine. Archbishop Siegfried of Mainz was interested in getting his hands on a castle that protected a Werra ford on the way to his possessions farther east. Otto IV, who faced a lot of opposition on his way to become Holy Roman Emperor, needed a favour and thus agreed to give the Hanstein to Siegfried (1209).
The next time the Hanstein appears a chronicle is 1236 when a vassal of the archbishop of Mainz, one Hethenricus of Hanstein (spelled Hanenstene) is mentioned. His family came from Apolda and was in a feudal relationship to Mainz since at least 1150 when they appeared as bailiffs of lands in the Eichsfeld. The now held the fief of Hanstein and took their name from the place. I don't think they are related to the above mentioned Boppo Count of Hanstein because the archbishop would have prefered to install one of his own vassals in the castle.
A sidenote: The Eichsfeld is still a Catholic enclave in lands that nowadays are mostly Protestant. They get some extra holidays which they spent on shopping tours in the surrounding Protestant towns. I've already mentioned the Eichsfeld in a post about Heiligenstadt, another of those pretty, little German towns with some old churches.
Comments:
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Wow, that's some history - and a pretty impressive tower on that castle too! I wouldn't like to try climbing it!
That's an amazing castle - the way it almost seems to grow out of the cliffs like that. Great photos.
Carla, it's one of the differences between German and Norman Castles. The German ones are built into the surroundings (think of the examples where they use natural grottos) while the Normans plopped most of theirs down where they wanted them and got everything out of the way, lol. Except for Chepstow which makes use of a cliff over the Wye the way the Hanstein does.
Maaaan! Do I ever like those cross shaped mullions!
And whats with that cute little detail, the vertical shaft with the unspecified opening (window?) at the top thats tucked into the corner on the middle picture? Looks vaguely like a privy, but it doesn't seem to drain anywhere. A spiral staircase perhaps?
And whats with that cute little detail, the vertical shaft with the unspecified opening (window?) at the top thats tucked into the corner on the middle picture? Looks vaguely like a privy, but it doesn't seem to drain anywhere. A spiral staircase perhaps?
Thanks, Alianore. It's fun pic, isn't it, lol?
Stag, it is a privy. They didn't have a drain in the Middle Ages; the ahem, shit plopped right down into the moat, or in this case just down the rock.
Stag, it is a privy. They didn't have a drain in the Middle Ages; the ahem, shit plopped right down into the moat, or in this case just down the rock.
Wow, looks like someone got to destructing it before I did. *g* Would hate to have been the engineer on that one. Not fond of building over sheer drop offs - we lose more workers that way! *g*
Lol Constance, yep, you and your trebuchets are to late for this one - and difficult to get into range in the first place. You'd need rockets for those towers.
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