Heinrichsburg: A Medieval Spur Castle in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page18 sections
History
Heinrichsburg is a ruined medieval spur castle in Germany, near Gernrode, probably built at the beginning of the thirteenth century as a protective stronghold. Originally called Heinrichsberg, it guarded a road from Thuringia to Quedlinburg and helped protect nearby mining and smelting works. Its foundation is often attributed to Heinrich von Gatersleben, who may have given the castle its name, although the Counts of Morungen have also been proposed as builders.
Origins and early references
The castle’s first known reference dates from 1290, when Iwanus miles de Heinrichsberge, identified as Johannes, a soldier of Heinrichsberg, appeared in a record. From 1307, Heinrichsberg was held by the Counts of Stolberg as a fief of Anhalt. An enfeoffment was a legal grant of land or a castle from a superior lord to a vassal in return for recognized obligations and service.
In 1333, the castle passed to a collateral branch of the Stolberg family. It was then turned into a base for highwaymen who stopped and robbed merchants and travelers on the Harz road. In 1344, Counts Dietrich III of Hohnstein zu Klettenberg and Heinrich VI the Elder, accompanied by their sons, captured the stronghold and executed the highwaymen. Some stolen goods were reportedly recovered, while other valuables were said to have been lost or buried nearby. Later gold finds in the surrounding area became associated with this tradition.
Stolberg lordship and feudal agreements
Otto von Waldeser was recorded at Heinrichsburg in a charter of 1368. Anhalt grants of Heinrichsberg to the Counts of Stolberg were renewed in 1376 and 1381. The castle and its lordship also featured in a series of hereditary agreements. In 1418, the Stolbergs included Heinrichsburg in an agreement with the Counts of Schwarzburg and Wernigerode. In 1433, a similar arrangement involved the Counts of Hohnstein and Schwarzburg, and the Hohnstein, Schwarzburg, and Stolberg agreement was renewed in 1493, again naming the Stolberg lordship of Heinrichsberg.
By 1491, the increasingly deteriorated stronghold was described as an abandoned castle held in pledge by Friedrich von Hoym. Around 1502, the occupied defensive complex was destroyed again. In 1514, the Anhalt princes Ernst and Wolfgang renewed the Stolbergs’ enfeoffment of Heinrichsberg Castle and its associated rights and estates. These included Breitenstein, the deserted village of Ammach, woodland near Gräfenteich, fields near Güntersberge and Lingesbach, and half of Dankerode.
Estates, administration, and decline
The associated lands formed part of wider Stolberg efforts to connect Güntersberge with Harzgerode and extend their influence. The Hoym family had held these fiefs since 1430. In 1452, the lords of Hoym pledged the estates to the Counts of Stolberg with Anhalt’s approval. In 1461, Heinrich, Count of Stolberg, purchased several deserted villages and half of Dankerode from members of the Hoym family.
After negotiations involving Magnus von Hoym, his guardian concluded an inheritance agreement with Count Botho of Stolberg in 1518. Friedrich von Hoym confirmed the agreement in 1530 after reaching adulthood, while disputing the valuation. During the sixteenth century, the Counts of Stolberg resettled the deserted village of Bärenrode and made its outwork the seat of an Amt, a territorial administrative district managed for a prince or count. As Heinrichsburg and the nearby Erichsberg Castle declined, both were administered from Bärenrode. Breitenstein and its extensive forests remained the most important of Heinrichsburg’s former estates.
Later history and protection
By 1784, Heinrichsburg was described as a ruin. That year, Prince Friedrich Albrecht of Anhalt-Bernburg built a small hunting lodge and garden within the castle walls. The castle grounds later became subject to several heritage and landscape protections. The ruins are listed as a monument in the local register, while the visible spur castle is also recognized by Saxony-Anhalt’s heritage authorities as an archaeological and cultural monument. The castle hill is a natural monument within the protected landscape of the Upper Selke Valley in the Harz Nature Park.
Medieval routes through the Selke valley helped explain the castle’s position. The Kupferstieg connected the Harzgerode area with Hagenrode Abbey and carried goods such as ore and charcoal. Evidence of fighting around the castle includes military objects associated with the 1344 capture. Excavation and treasure hunting are prohibited because the grounds lie under state nature protection.
Remains
Castle layout and defenses
Heinrichsburg occupies a steep, wooded projection of the diabase Burgberg, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock, at about 349 metres above sea level north of Mägdesprung. The former castle extended approximately 65 by 175 metres. Its core covered about 20 by 20 metres and was divided into distinguishable upper and lower areas. The complex used the projecting ridge as a natural defensive position, although parts of the surviving masonry are at risk of collapse.
Baileys and ring defenses
The lower or outer bailey, an enclosed area adjoining the main castle, occupied a raised section and was probably enclosed by a wall. The main and outer baileys were protected by a ring ditch and ring wall, portions of which survive. A forward fortification stands at the narrowest point of the spur, north of the main complex, extending the defensive system beyond the central castle area.
Keep
The surviving keep, the principal fortified tower, has a square plan. Each side measures 6.80 metres, and its walls are approximately 1.80 metres thick. One corner points toward the uphill side of the ridge. Drill holes made by treasure hunters remain in the keep’s masonry.
Residential and defensive features
Residential building and well
Southwest of the keep are wall remains belonging to a rectangular residential building. A well survives with the structure, adding evidence of the domestic facilities within the castle core.
Siege emplacement
On the opposite side of the valley, a siege emplacement is associated with the capture of Heinrichsburg in 1344. Its position across from the castle provides physical evidence connected with the attack that ended the highwaymen’s occupation.
Roadway and archaeological finds
Kupferstieg hollow way
North of the ruins, the old Kupferstieg survives as a forested hollow way, a sunken track formed by long use and erosion. Deep wheel ruts made by iron-shod wagons remain visible in partly rocky ground. Medieval horseshoes and cart remains found along the route reflect the movement of people and goods between the Harzgerode area and Hagenrode Abbey.
Weapons and projectiles
Objects from the former castle area and surrounding woodland include iron crossbow bolts, spearheads, thrusting weapons, and stone projectiles for blides, large medieval siege engines used to throw stones or other heavy objects. Together, these finds indicate armed conflict in the vicinity.
Subterranean features and natural setting
Earth tunnel and hidden-passage tradition
Below the ruins, local tradition describes hidden passages and an artificial earth tunnel. The small cavity extends about two metres into the hill. Stories of buried highwaymen’s treasure are also associated with the castle, although the treasure’s existence is considered unlikely.
Protected vegetation
The castle hill supports rare and specially protected plants, including columbine, monkshood, and Turk’s cap lily. Their presence forms part of the protected natural setting in which the castle remains survive.
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