Romantic Rhine, Koblenz to Bingen: Schloss Reichenstein

From my set entitled “The Romantic Rhine”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157603039989105/
In my collection entitled “Rhine Main Danube”
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In my photostream
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From “Welcome to Schloss Reichenstein” (edited)
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It is difficult to say exactly how old Reichenstein really is. The oldest foundations date from the early 11th century. Reichenstein is almost 1,000 years old. In earliest times, the region belonged to the distant abbey of Kornelimünster near Aachen which was received as a gift from Ludwig the Pious. The Abbey appointed bailiffs for the administration and safeguarding of its rights. One of these bailiffs Rheinbodo (1151-1196). One of his descendants, Gerhard of Rheinbodo, raged as a robber-knight throughout the region, seizing goods travelers and merchants. He was killed in 1213

Philipp von Bolanden was his successor. In 1218, Philipp’s son, Werner, took the name "von Reichenstein", He did not follow the instructions of his feudal lords in Kornelimünster and overpowered more and more tradesmen who were traveling the Rhine River Valley.

In 1253, the archbishop of Mainz and the army of the town association conquered and destroyed Reichenstein. Philipp von Hohenfels surrendered and promised good conduct. He then rebuilt Reichenstein stronger than before. He carried on with robbing during these politically unstable times and ascended to the high office of Imperial Vicar and began to steal church property. As a consequence, the Archbishop of Mainz excommunicated him. All this happened during the times of "Interregnum," and came to an end when the imperial power was once again strengthened.

In 1282, Rudolf I, founder of the Habsburg dynasty, took the castle by siege. In the following years many battles were fought around Reichenstein. Numerous arrow points have been found on the castle grounds, and can be seen in the museum.

According to local legend, Dietrich von Hohenfels and his nine sons were robber barons who used the castle as a stronghold. His sons were caught by the authorities and killed; Hohenfels was captured the next day. He asked that he be hanged and his sons' lives be spared, but upon seeing that they were already dead, his head fell from his body. All ten bodies were buried in St. Clement Chapel in the castle, and the ghost -- headless -- is said to haunt the castle, Contrary to the legend, Dietrich of Hohenfels actually escaped. His companions were hanged on trees in the valley by order of Rudolf von Habsburg. The castle was burnt down in 1290. The king forbade that Reichenstein and the neighboring fortress (also a nest of robber knights) be rebuilt, but both were restored.

Reichenstein became the property of the Count Palatines, who quarreled over rights with the Archbishop of Mainz. In 1344, Emperor Ludwig IV, awarded the castle to Mainz. Mainz leased the castle to Kuno von Falkenstein, a successor of the von Bolanden family who had once been bailiffs there. In 1396, contra-bishop, Gottfried von Leiningen, found refuge in the castle and was granted possession by the bailiff, Nikelaus von Stein. Only after long negotiationsdid Gottfried resign, and further battles for Reichenstein were avoided.

The Mainz period lasted to the end of the 19th century. The old castle, originally built as a defense structure, lost more and more of its military value after the invention and development of firearms. It started to deteriorate. The cathedral chapter leased it to four families in Trechtingshausen, and granted the right to grow wine grapes on the surrounding plots. These families later became proprietors of the ruins.

It was only a question of time until the old walls would become overgrown and collapse. But the 19th century was a turning point. The epoch of romanticism lead to a new interest in the middle ages, gothic churches, cloisters and castles. The life of the knights inspired the imagination of educated circles of the nobility and the middle classes. General Baron Franz Wilhelm von Barfuss bought the ruin and began restoring it. He discovered several nesting tower falcons in the walls and therefore named the castle "Falkenburg." An heir of General Barfuss, the baron von Rehfuss, bought the castle in 1877, and installed a small flat there. In 1899, there followed another proprietor, the Mexican Consul Chosodowsky.

The decisive step for the castle, as it stands today, was taken in 1899, when the Rheinböller Ironindustrialist, Nicolaus Kirsch-Puricelli, obtained the property.

Nicolaus Kirsch-Puricelli, Luxemborg's Ambassador in the German Reich, started to re-build castle Reichenstein with the help of his wife Olga,. The Regensburger architect Strebel, who was in charge of the restoration, based his ideas on old foundation drawings and on views of the castle form the 17th and 18th centuries. In this way, the reconstruction of the main building was authentic. Nicolaus and Olga Kirsch-Puricelli had the necessary historical and artistic interest. Without their enthusiasm, the castle and its museum collection would be non existent. Baroness Olga collected paintings, engravings, sculptures, vases, furniture and musical instruments. She was a musician and artist, and painted a few pictures which are exhibited in the museum. Many of the art objects came from Italy.

Besides being a brother of Baron Nicolaus, the teacher Paul Kirsch was Prelate for many years in Rome. He often brought gifts from Italy when he visited the Reichenstein family.

Baron Nicolaus' passion for hunting led to a collection of 1200 hunting trophies from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Amongst them are numerous rare pieces, such as hart with three horns, a moose with mighty antlers, armour and weapons .

When Baron Nicolaus died in 1936 (his wife Olga died the previous year), the living quarters were given up by their children; it had become too expensive to keep forty servants

The heir, Baron Dr. Paul Kirsch-Puricelli, kept the castle open as a museum. His nephew, Baron con Schorlemer-Lieser followed his footsteps. Only at the beginning of 1987, after almost 90 years in the family, the castle received a new proprietor, Egon Schmitz.

In the outer castle there is a hotel with fifty beds Also in the outer castle are several restaurants: The "Ritterstube" , the "Jägerstube" and the rustic pub"Pferdestall.&quot.There is a beergarden from which a magnificent view over the Rhine and Morgenbach Valley can be enjoyed. For bigger events, a marquee for several hundred persons can easily be erected on the "Tunierplatz," just above the castle.

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Taken on: August 19, 2007

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Camera: Fujifilm FinePix Z1, f/4.0, 1/60 sec, 11.2mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

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