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Stromberg and Stromburg Castle — Home of the 'German Michel'
A few kilometers north of
Bad Kreuznach
the Guldenbach stream flows out of Hunsrück into the Nahe River.
It numbers among the "steepest" streams, for between Rheinböllen and
Stromberg it falls from a height of 160 meters down to 8 km. Its
headwaters, cut deeply into the mountains, traversing one of the
central areas for the Hunsrück iron ore reserves and the historic
"Rheinböllen Ironworks",
and form the border between Soonwald ('Soon Forest') to the west and
Bingerwald ('Binger Forest') to the east. The
most famous place in Guldenbach Valley is the village of Stromberg at
the foot of Soonwald. Here on a elongated mountain spur, the most
picturesque in the country, stands Stromburg Castle, one of the
oldest castle complexes in Hunsrück. This is the home of the "German
Michel", Hans Michael von Obentraut (1574-1625), one of the most
dashing captains of the Thirty Years War, around whom creep various stories
—he is not to be confused with a ridiculous figure by the same name, a
clumsy oaf with a pointed cap and knee breeches, who was used as a
political character to personify simple-mindedness and an easy-going
ponderousness since the Reformation in Germany in order "to rouse" the
people.
Photo: View from castle Gollenburg to Stromburg Castle, one of the
oldest castle complexes in Hunsrück. It is the home of Hans Michael
von Obentraut (1574-1625), one of the most venturesome equestrian leaders
of the Thirty Years War.
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