Waldeck Castle Ruins
Decay & Eternity, Basalt & Panoramic Views
A 641-meter-high basalt cone about five kilometers east of Kemnath made history. One of the oldest castles in the Upper Palatinate stood on its summit.
Geschichte
Waldeck Castle was first documented in 1124. At that time, it was owned by Gebhard, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg. The castle came to the Leuchtenburg family through marriage. It is presumed that the Lords of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld-Hopfenohe built the castle. After the death of the last Pettendorfer in 1119, the portion of the property around Kemnath passed to the Landgraves of Leuchtenberg through their heir, Heilwiga von Lengenfeld, by marriage.
The Leuchtenburg family remained the lords of the superiori castro of Waldeck for 164 years. Their ministeriales accordingly called themselves "Obernburgers." In 1283, Landgrave Friedrich II of Leuchtenberg sold the castle, along with parts of the surrounding Waldeck domain, to Duke Ludwig of Bavaria.
The Electors of the Rhine Palatinate remained the Lords of Waldeck-Kemnath until the Thirty Years' War. After General Tilly's victory over Elector Frederick of the Palatinate at the Battle of White Mountain, Duke Maximilian received the Upper Palatinate from Emperor Ferdinand as collateral for his war expenses. In 1623, he was granted the Electorate, and in 1628, he was granted the Upper Palatinate as his own property.
During the Thirty Years' War, the castle became a refuge for citizens of the town of Kemnath and nobles from the surrounding area. In 1648, the castle was besieged by General Königsmarck von Falkenberg, who was in Swedish service. Alarmed by the bombardment of the castle, the district judge, Nikolaus du Quesnoy, urged the castle commandant to surrender the castle. The district judge was subsequently arrested, and the musketeers in the castle, including the commandant, defected to the Swedish service.
Despite the ceasefire concluded on October 24, 1648, the occupation of the castle did not end until October 5, 1649. During the occupation, the castle's defenses were improved, and 22 houses in the village below were demolished to expand the field of fire. Until 1698, the castle served as the seat of the Waldeck-Kemnath district court.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, the castle was besieged by imperial troops and captured in October 1704. On the orders of Emperor Joseph I, it was "razed" in 1705, with the participation of craftsmen and specialists from Nuremberg, Amberg, Kemnath, and Waldeck. The remaining castle complex, farm buildings, and stables were not demolished until 1707. Although the castle was rebuilt, it burned down in 1794 and has remained in ruins ever since.
News
For several decades, the castle complex has been excavated and restored. The Waldeck Local History and Culture Association has contributed significantly to this. Regular services are held at the St. Ägidius Open-Air Chapel.For almost ten years, theater performances have also been held here annually on an open-air stage with 300 seats. Performances by the Upper Palatinate State Theater are now a regular part of the cultural program.
Info: www.markt-waldeck.de
Make
The market town of Waldeck belongs to the town of Kemnath and is located on the B22 federal highway between Weiden and Bayreuth.
Parking at Schlossberg
Parking lot at Old Cemetery
Am Schlossberg, 95478 Kemnath (Waldeck district)
CONTACT
Waldeck Local History and Culture Association
Im Höritz 28, 95478 Kemnath (Waldeck district)
Phone: 09642 / 915528
Fax: 09642 / 915529
E-mail:vorstand@markt-waldeck.de
Web: www.markt-waldeck.de
