Every self-respecting castle should have a legend, be a haven for legendary personalities, impress with its architecture and fascinate with its history - all this is embodied in the Wartburg Castle. Its age is a thousand years, and in this period what and who has not seen only the walls: Hitler, who met here with astrologers, Martin Luther, hiding under the pseudonym of "Junker George", and Elisabeth of Thuringia, who died at the age of 24, a Catholic saint. To learn all the secrets of the castle, it is worth spending a lot of time to visit it, otherwise there is a risk of missing something very important ... And as experienced travelers say, I want to know everything about this castle.
How Wartburg was created
The construction of the castle was the work of the Luding family. The foundation stone was laid by Ludwig Skakun, grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Ludwig Beard, in 1067, and the castle was finally built in 1073.
Despite the fact that the authority and wealth of the family was multiplying before their eyes, helped by the patronage of the Archbishop of Mainz, it was not planned to invest in the creation of a stone structure. Seven years later, in 1080, the army of King Henry V attacked the fortress, and the owner had to give up the castle to regain his freedom. This speaks of the strategic importance and grandeur of the structure.
In the XII century, Ludwig's grandson Ludwig II organized the first major reconstruction in the history of the castle:
- The palace was annexed.
- Neighboring buildings were added.
- They built the eastern wall of the fortification.
In 1318 the wooden Wartburg was completely destroyed by fire - then it was decided to rebuild it in stone. The owners changed one after the other until Thuringia was ruled by the Meissen family - the castle became their residence.
Cultural significance
- Already in the 12th and 13th centuries the castle was the center of the German poetry movement.
- Legendary cultural events, such as the Wartburg Singing Competition (Wartburg War), were held here.
- For 6 years - from 1221 to 1227 - Elisabeth of Thuringia, a Catholic saint, lived in the castle.
- Martin Luther, the Catholic reformer, hid here for a year; he could not be counted because of his pseudonym "Junker Georg". In the castle he worked on a translation of the New Testament, later known as the Luther Bible.
- Goethe visited the castle several times
- The castle is the site of the Wrathburg Festivals, a 19th-century festival of German students.
See what?
From the top of the castle you have a beautiful view of the Eisenach. Note the thickness of the walls, the stone palace and the preserved half-timbered buildings.
The palace was built in the Romanesque style - several such buildings have survived in Germany. The layout of the halls has not changed (!) since the 11th century. Don't miss the frescos, mosaics, and reconstructed medieval interiors: at first glance they might seem boring - but that will pass after a visit to the bright boudoir of Countess Elisabeth.
Interesting Facts
- In 1999, the Wartburg was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Frescoes adorning the walls of the Hall of Singers and Landgraves depict the history of Wartburg.
- The largest hall of the fortress is the Banqueting Hall.
- The room where Martin Luther stayed is still intact and is still upholstered with rough planks. There is a legend connected with it: once workers discovered a stain on one of the walls. Someone said it was a stain from an inkwell that Luther had shot at the devil. There were so many people who wanted to touch the board and take the piece with them that it would soon disappear. But no one touched the Bible Luther created.
- At Wartburg, Hitler heard from astrologers some disappointing predictions for him. No one saw the astrologers again after this meeting.
