History of the castle Pottenstein Castle

1 history of castle

1.1 foundation
1.2 administrative castle of bishopric
1.3 warlike events
1.4 private ownership
1.5 murder @ castle

history of castle
foundation

around 1050, village of pottenstein belonged margrave otto of schweinfurt and, after death in 1057, went third daughter, judith. judith s first marriage duke cuno of bavaria. cuno died in 1055 , in 1057 judith married boto, younger brother of count palatine aribo ii of edelfrei family of aribonids. in 1070 h referred himself comes de potensteine , i.e. count of pottenstein.

the castle bore name (stein i.e. rock of boto) must therefore have been built between 1057 , 1070 boto. established guard area between upper main , pegnitz southeast.

there no clear documentary evidence alternative theory castle built around 918 king conrad i.

administrative castle of bishopric

pottenstein castle seen northwest. c. 1840 lithograph theodor rothbarth based on drawing carl käppel



pottenstein castle north



pottenstein castle south



pottenstein castle east (nature reserve)

boto died in 1104 heirs , buried in theres abbey. judith had died in 1066.

from fact castle not among acquisitions of otto i holy, 1102 1139 held title of bishop, can concluded boto had sold castle during lifetime before or in 1102 bamberg diocese. around 1118 , in 1121, bishop otto resided @ castle.

during following centuries, pottenstein castle entrusted bishops of bamberg ministerialis family renamed after castle. oldest known members of family wezelo of pottenstein around 1121; in 1169 there rapoto of pottenstein. followed erchenbert or erchenbrecht of pottenstein 1185 1221, 1207 truchsess or steward bishop. brother henry called himself von pottenstein. other members of family followed, including conrad of pottenstein in 1240-1248, cathedral canon 1242.

from 1227 1228 pottenstein castle served temporary residence saint elizabeth, landgravine of thuringia.

between 1323/1327 , 1348 castle became seat of amt or administrative base bishopric of bamberg. in 1348 gebhard storo amtmann in pottenstein.

pottenstein centre of extensive judicial district. administrative area of pottenstein enlarged incorporation of smaller episcopal offices: in 1492 amt of tüchersfeld, in 1594 amt leienfels , in 1628-1636 amt gößweinstein.

from beginning of 14th century, castle managed vogt or advocate, had seat in vogteihaus in lower ward. vogteihaus referred in 1728 , 1743 old vogtei, vogt had meanwhile moved, in 1728, building in town, @ latest in 1748 moved vogthaus, purchased in 1745 , rebuilt in 1748/1749. reason move arduous climb hill castle. known noble vogt walter of streitberg in 1332, later vogts, held office in late 16th century, members of bourgeois estate.

from 1500, officers called pflegers. based in so-called cabinet in upper ward. in 1750 pfleger of castle moved vogthaus in town. castle abandoned administrative residence , served corn granary.

warlike events

pottenstein castle northwest, steel engraving (1840) henry winkles

during bitter fighting in 1125 between king lothair iii , hohenstaufen anti-king, conrad iii, town of pottenstein destroyed fire castle survived.

during peasants war, however, occupied , plundered peasants in 1525 fear plummeting , burning debris damage houses in town below, not razed. in addition, without castle, peasants have been without protection against forces of count palatine, margrave , city of nuremberg.

the second margrave war, in albert alcibiades, margrave of brandenburg-kulmbach , bayreuth launched numerous raids , looting, resulted in heavy damage , led destruction of many villages , castles in empire, in franconia. on 18 may 1553, pottenstein castle bombarded , occupied margravial troops. castle chapel in upper ward destroyed , no longer mentioned after 1553. cost of damage, 20,000 guilders, indicates not outer ward captured.

in 1634 during thirty years war raid swede, colonel cratz, failed take castle. trumpeter pretended have been sent imperial troops, appeared before castle. escorted on drawbridge, when defenders noticed enemy waiting outside, drew drawbridge up. captured trumpeter executed after converting catholicism.

in 1703/1704, during spanish succession war, garrison installed in castle, , occupied soldiers again in 1708 in 1712. in 1703, oven installed in dilapidated bergfried garrison troops.

after time no further warlike events @ castle recorded.

private ownership

town , castle north, based on 1802 painting sebastian förtsch

after transfer of diocese in 1803 bavarian state during secularisation period castle fell ruins. in 1878, castle came possession of nuremberg pharmacist, dr. heinrich kleemann, whom preservation of ruins, threatened demolition, owed. died in 1890 , widow sold castle in 1900.

in 1918, pottenstein castle purchased father castellan winzelo, baron of wintzingerode, died in 2006 , noble family seated @ bodenstein castle in thuringia. life s work construction of museum , ongoing renovation of castle complex. castle still owned family.

the castle privately run museum , residence prehistoric , historical objects displayed along collection of weapons, books, autographs , 3 show rooms grouped ensemble.

the elizabeth room in former tower house, western part of palas, commemorates stay of saint elizabeth in 1227-1228. accessible areas upper floor of main building (great hall, red salon, elizabeth room), remnants of former bergfried, house (porcelain, glass, ceramics , ethnographic objects) , tithe barn (with tithe exhibits, exhibition on recent history of castle , changing special exhibitions). in addition impression of well-preserved castle of 16th century medieval substance, visitors may tour castle gardens outstanding views on town , countryside.

murder @ castle

on 2 april 1866, max söhnlein, had been released bayreuth gaol, killed wife of castle guard pick in presence of infant. max söhnlein son of former castle guard , committed murder conceal crime. wanted steal clothes , money, when realized parents no longer lived @ castle. arrested shortly thereafter in pegnitz , sentenced on 7 may 1866 life imprisonment @ trial jury in bayreuth. due youth - 20 years old - usual death penalty not imposed.