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Frauenburg Castle near Birkenfeld
If you visit
Birkenfeld,
you should definitely plan a side trip to Frauenburg Castle which stands
picturesquely upon a narrow mountain spur not far from the vivacious waters of the
upper course of the Nahe river. It was built in the year 1320 by the counts of Sponheim
("Back County") and chosen in 1331 by the young widow Loretta, Countess of Sponheim, as
the administrative seat for her new office Frauenburg. This after her conflict
with the Trier Elector and archbishop Balduin von Luxemburg (1285-1354). In fact,
three years before, Loretta had incarcerated the Trier Elector at
Starkenburg Castle
above Traben Trarbach on the Mosel in order to enforce her ownership of several
Sponheim possessions. On the 7th of July 1328, Balduin finally conceded the respective
rights to her through the so-called "Atonement Contract", with which the "Birkenfeld
Dispute" was officially resolved. With the additional acquisition of the ransom Loretta
could purchase and extend Frauenburg Castle.
Thereafter, Frauenburg Castle became Loretta's official residence and administrative
center of the Frauenburg District with the villages "Tal-Frauenburg",
"Reichenbach", "Ausweiler", "Hammerstein", "Nohen", "Rimsberg", "Homerischer Hof" and
"Winneberger Hof". Loretta died in the year 1345 at the age of 50. In the years
1673-1674 Frauenburg Castle was substantially damaged during several attacks by French
troups. Even though abandoned by the end of the 17th century, it is one of the
best-preserved castles in the Birkenfeld District and can serve as an impressive
example of medieval power politics.
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Literature
Heinrich Baldes: Geschichtliche Heimatkunde der Birkenfelder Landschaft. Reprint der
Originalausgabe von 1923 mit einem Nachtrag von H.P. Brandt.
Dr. Gebhardt & Hilden, Idar-Oberstein 1999
Frauenburg Castle on the upper reaches of the Nahe river, once official residence of
Loretta Countess of Sponheim.
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