Starkenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate
Encyclopedia
Starkenburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It is the location of the like-named castle, now in ruins.
to the Moselle on the river’s right bank, downstream between Traben-Trarbach
, the Ahringsbach valley and Enkirch
. Towards the north, the village is bordered by a castle crag, where a few remnants of walls from the Starkenburg (castle) can still be discerned. Starkenburg is surrounded by unbroken greenbelt characterized by vineyard
s, woods, meadows and farms. Starkenburg belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Traben-Trarbach
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
were already using this place’s strategic location, in which they built a fort. The Roman fortification of the heights was a forerunner to the later castle. The complex is believed to have been destroyed by the Franks
about 412.
In the Middle Ages
, Starkenburg was from 1125 the residence of the County of Sponheim
for the “Hinder” County; in 1350 it was relieved of this function by the newly built Grevenburg
. The Sponheim noble family first appeared on the Moselle, according to documents, with Count Meginhard I of Sponheim in Enkirch
in 1125. The first documentary mention of the castle as “Starkenberg” (not “Starkenburg”), in a directory of landholdings from Trier
, comes from 1200.
The castle became well known in the 14th century for the bold and dynamic Countess Loretta, Count Heinrich II’s young widow. Her great adversary was the eminent Archbishop and Elector of Trier Baldwin of Luxembourg, who would gladly have brought the bothersome “foreign body” within his Electorate that was the County of Sponheim
under his sway. Countess Loretta, irreverently and boldly, had the great Baldwin taken prisoner in 1328 during a voyage on the Moselle and locked him up at her stronghold of Starkenburg in “honourable” detention. Neither the Emperor’s threats nor the Pope’s anathema
could move the young and, it is said, attractive Countess to release the Archbishop. He was finally let go after having paid a high ransom and made sweeping political concessions, which itself led to further questions about his stay at Starkenburg. According to legend, the ransom was later used to build the Countess’s seat – a “widow’s seat” – called Frauenburg near Frauenberg
on the river Nahe.
About 1350, the Grevenburg in Trarbach became the seat of the Counts of Sponheim
. In 1558, the Reformation
was enforced throughout the Sponheim domains. The wars that came in the French Revolution
’s wake swept the County of Sponheim away. At the Congress of Vienna
, Starkenburg was annexed to Prussia
. Since 1947, it has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
might be described thus: Chequy of sixteen gules and argent.
, Altenburger Land
, Thuringia
parish, which has 192 members, is parochially tied to Enkirch and belongs to the Simmern-Trarbach church district.
and tourism
. At the tourists’ disposal are some 80 guest beds and two inns.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Vulkaneifel, Cochem-Zell, Rhein-Hunsrück, Birkenfeld, Trier-Saarburg and Bitburg-Prüm.- History :...
district
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, 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...
. It is the location of the like-named castle, now in ruins.
Location
The municipality lies on a 250 m-high ridge sloping down from the HunsrückHunsrück
The Hunsrück is a low mountain range in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the river valleys of the Moselle , the Nahe , and the Rhine . The Hunsrück is continued by the Taunus mountains on the eastern side of the Rhine. In the north behind the Moselle it is continued by the Eifel...
to the Moselle on the river’s right bank, downstream between Traben-Trarbach
Traben-Trarbach
Traben-Trarbach on the Middle Moselle is a town in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde and a state-recognized climatic spa .- Location :...
, the Ahringsbach valley and Enkirch
Enkirch
Enkirch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
. Towards the north, the village is bordered by a castle crag, where a few remnants of walls from the Starkenburg (castle) can still be discerned. Starkenburg is surrounded by unbroken greenbelt characterized by vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, woods, meadows and farms. Starkenburg belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Traben-Trarbach
Traben-Trarbach (Verbandsgemeinde)
Traben-Trarbach is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat of administration is in Traben-Trarbach....
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Traben-Trarbach
Traben-Trarbach on the Middle Moselle is a town in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde and a state-recognized climatic spa .- Location :...
.
History
The RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
were already using this place’s strategic location, in which they built a fort. The Roman fortification of the heights was a forerunner to the later castle. The complex is believed to have been destroyed by the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
about 412.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Starkenburg was from 1125 the residence of the County of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
for the “Hinder” County; in 1350 it was relieved of this function by the newly built Grevenburg
Grevenburg
Grevenburg was a castle in Traben-Trarbach in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The castle was formerly the residence of the Rear County of Sponheim and today is a ruin following its destruction by the French in 1734.- History :...
. The Sponheim noble family first appeared on the Moselle, according to documents, with Count Meginhard I of Sponheim in Enkirch
Enkirch
Enkirch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
in 1125. The first documentary mention of the castle as “Starkenberg” (not “Starkenburg”), in a directory of landholdings from Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, comes from 1200.
The castle became well known in the 14th century for the bold and dynamic Countess Loretta, Count Heinrich II’s young widow. Her great adversary was the eminent Archbishop and Elector of Trier Baldwin of Luxembourg, who would gladly have brought the bothersome “foreign body” within his Electorate that was the County of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
under his sway. Countess Loretta, irreverently and boldly, had the great Baldwin taken prisoner in 1328 during a voyage on the Moselle and locked him up at her stronghold of Starkenburg in “honourable” detention. Neither the Emperor’s threats nor the Pope’s anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
could move the young and, it is said, attractive Countess to release the Archbishop. He was finally let go after having paid a high ransom and made sweeping political concessions, which itself led to further questions about his stay at Starkenburg. According to legend, the ransom was later used to build the Countess’s seat – a “widow’s seat” – called Frauenburg near Frauenberg
Frauenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate
Frauenberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
on the river Nahe.
About 1350, the Grevenburg in Trarbach became the seat of the Counts of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
. In 1558, the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
was enforced throughout the Sponheim domains. The wars that came in the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
’s wake swept the County of Sponheim away. At the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, Starkenburg was annexed to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Since 1947, it has been part of the then newly founded state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by majority votePlurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Coat of arms
The municipality’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Chequy of sixteen gules and argent.
Town partnerships
Starkenburg fosters partnerships with the following places: StarkenbergStarkenberg
Starkenberg is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. On 1 December 2008, it incorporated the former municipalities Naundorf and Tegkwitz....
, Altenburger Land
Altenburger Land
Altenburger Land is a district in Thuringia, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Greiz, the Burgenlandkreis , and the districts Leipziger Land, Mittweida, Chemnitzer Land, Zwickauer Land in Saxony.- History :...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
Church
The Starkenburg EvangelicalEvangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
parish, which has 192 members, is parochially tied to Enkirch and belongs to the Simmern-Trarbach church district.
Sightseeing
- Starkenburg wall remnants
- BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church from 1764 - Historical construction
Economy and infrastructure
Starkenburg is characterized by agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. At the tourists’ disposal are some 80 guest beds and two inns.