Hertenstein Castle
Encyclopedia
Hertenstein Castle is a ruined spur castle
approximately 900 metres (2,950 ft) southwest of the village of Billingsbach, part of the municipality of Blaufelden
, in the district of Schwäbisch Hall
in the state of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
.
(the Billingsbach and the Rötelbach) at an elevation of 442 metres (1452 ft).
The main approach of the castle to the northeast was protected by an 80 metre (262 ft) long artificial moat
running from the steep slopes to the north towards the neighbouring hill in the south. The moat is between 5 and 6 metres (16 and 19 ft) deep. Out of the moat a mound
rises which are the remains of the outer ward
, followed by a drop of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 ft) towards the inner ward. Inside the inner ward is a flat triangular area about 32 metres (105 ft) long and 25 metres (82 ft) wide, in the middle of which the remains of the bergfried
(keep
) are found. All that is left of the keep is a mound rising up to 5 metres (15 ft) with a diameter of 8 metres (26 ft). The keep was built of rustication
buckel stones (squared-off stones with a rounded outer surface).
Only the moat is clearly visible today as none of the castle's structures above ground have survived. The whole area is covered by dense woodland
.
of the counts of Hohenlohe
, appeared as a witness in a charter
. The lords of Billingsbach seemed to have moved to the spur castle at the beginning of the 14th century. Yet, towards the end of the 14th century, after the extinction of the House of Billingsbach and the castle's return to the counts of Hohenlohe
in 1370, the castle appeared to have lost its function as a dwelling place for the local nobility. On a map from 1578, the castle is indicated as being in a ruinous state.
through the valley of the Jagst
towards Schrozberg
and Rothenburg ob der Tauber
passed through Billingsbach, where it crossed two streams. One of the functions of Hertenstein Castle was to guard this crossing and to protect travellers.
.
Spur castle
A spur castle is a type of medieval fortification that uses its location as a defensive feature. The name refers to the location on a spur projecting from a hill...
approximately 900 metres (2,950 ft) southwest of the village of Billingsbach, part of the municipality of Blaufelden
Blaufelden
Blaufelden is a municipality in the district of Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, in the district of Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall (district)
Schwäbisch Hall is a district in the north-east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Main-Tauber, the Bavarian district Ansbach, Ostalbkreis, Rems-Murr and Hohenlohe.-History:...
in the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Description
The castle is located on a steep hill above the confluence of two streamsSTREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
(the Billingsbach and the Rötelbach) at an elevation of 442 metres (1452 ft).
The main approach of the castle to the northeast was protected by an 80 metre (262 ft) long artificial moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
running from the steep slopes to the north towards the neighbouring hill in the south. The moat is between 5 and 6 metres (16 and 19 ft) deep. Out of the moat a mound
Mound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
rises which are the remains of the outer ward
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
, followed by a drop of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 ft) towards the inner ward. Inside the inner ward is a flat triangular area about 32 metres (105 ft) long and 25 metres (82 ft) wide, in the middle of which the remains of the bergfried
Bergfried
A bergfried is a tall tower typically found in medieval castles in German-speaking countries . Its defensive function is to some extent similar to that of a keep or donjon in English or French castles...
(keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
) are found. All that is left of the keep is a mound rising up to 5 metres (15 ft) with a diameter of 8 metres (26 ft). The keep was built of rustication
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
buckel stones (squared-off stones with a rounded outer surface).
Only the moat is clearly visible today as none of the castle's structures above ground have survived. The whole area is covered by dense woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
History
The castle was built in the early 13th century. The original builders and owners of the castle are unknown. The existence of a castle is only documented as late as 1314 when a certain Eberhard von Hertenstein, lord of Billingsbach and vassalVassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of the counts of Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe is the name of a German princely family and the name of their principality.At first rulers of a county, its two branches were raised to the rank of principalities of the Holy Roman Empire in 1744 and 1764 respectively; in 1806 they lost their independence and their lands formed part of...
, appeared as a witness in a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
. The lords of Billingsbach seemed to have moved to the spur castle at the beginning of the 14th century. Yet, towards the end of the 14th century, after the extinction of the House of Billingsbach and the castle's return to the counts of Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe is the name of a German princely family and the name of their principality.At first rulers of a county, its two branches were raised to the rank of principalities of the Holy Roman Empire in 1744 and 1764 respectively; in 1806 they lost their independence and their lands formed part of...
in 1370, the castle appeared to have lost its function as a dwelling place for the local nobility. On a map from 1578, the castle is indicated as being in a ruinous state.
Function
A trading route leading from KünzelsauKünzelsau
Künzelsau[p] is a town in Baden-Württemberg, in south central Germany. It is the capital of the Hohenlohe district. It is located on the river Kocher, 19 km north of Schwäbisch Hall, and 37 km northeast of Heilbronn....
through the valley of the Jagst
Jagst
The Jagst is a right tributary of the Neckar in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is 189 km long. Its source is in the hills east of Ellwangen, close to the Bavarian border. It winds through the towns Ellwangen, Crailsheim, Kirchberg an der Jagst, Langenburg, Krautheim, Möckmühl and Neudenau...
towards Schrozberg
Schrozberg
Schrozberg is a town in the district of Schwäbisch Hall, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located west of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and northeast of Schwäbisch Hall....
and Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
passed through Billingsbach, where it crossed two streams. One of the functions of Hertenstein Castle was to guard this crossing and to protect travellers.
Excavation
In 1948 and 1950, excavations on a small scale revealed shards of ceramics and other artefacts from the medieval period as well as the 16th century, indicating that the castle was inhabited at least until the early modern periodEarly modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
.