In the land of princes and thinkers

Thuringia’s castles and the people who spent time there

The landscape of Thuringia is shaped by hundreds of castles. They served as representative residences for dukes, landgraves and princes. However, the nobility also liked to surround themselves with the cultural elite of their day, who had a significant impact on German and European history, art and culture. Listen to the old walls as they tell anecdotes and legends about saints, emperors, Reformers and artists.

Thanks to the princes’ need to display their wealth, as demonstrated by the houses of Ernestine, Schwarzburg and Reuss, the castles feature outstanding collections of art, libraries, archives and living quarters that document the lives and events of the last 1,000 years as a memory bank.

Saint Elisabeth lived and worked at Thuringias Castles

This memory bank is particularly full in Wartburg Castle, which was built high above Eisenach in 1067. For example, there are monumental frescoes that tell the story of Walther von der Vogelweide’s Sängerkrieg (minstrel contest), which is regarded as a cradle of German literature. In one small chamber, an unspectacular ink stain on the wall supposedly bears witness to the struggles that Martin Luther had with himself and the devil whilst translating the Bible. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe even wanted to set up a museum at the castle, whilst Richard Wagner used a view of Wartburg Castle from his carriage as inspiration for his “Tannhäuser”.

The fact that a real saint also lived and worked at Wartburg Castle is often lost amongst the noise made by the “big stars”. Yet whole books have been written about the deeds and miracles of the pious landgravine Elisabeth, who was undoubtedly the most significant woman who lived in Thuringia in the Middle Ages and is revered throughout Europe as a saint. When you walk through the Palas, you can get a sense of the life of Elisabeth of Thuringia on magnificent mosaics in the Elisabeth Bower, the medieval ladies’ chamber, and in the Elisabeth Gallery. The daughter of King Andrew II. of Hungary came to Wartburg Castle in 1211, when she was just fourteen, and married the landgrave’s son Ludwig ten years later. However, she did not think much of the ostentatious life at one of the most elegant courts in Europe; instead she dedicated herself to living according to a strict ideal of poverty in line with the Franciscan model and to helping those in need. There are also many miracles attributed to Elisabeth. The best known is the miracle of the roses: one day, when she was carry food and gifts to people in need, she met the landgrave, who asked: what is that you are carrying? In a wavering voice, she replied “Roses, my lord!” The landgrave demanded that she show them to him and lifted the cover from the basket. It was full of roses, even though it was winter…

During her time in Thuringia, Elisabeth also lived at Creuzburg Castle, which is just a few kilometres away from Eisenach, and gave birth to her son Hermann there in 1222. At the Runneburg in Weissensee, she took part in one of the biggest Hoftage (informal assemblies of princes in the Holy Roman Empire) in Thuringia in 1225. These two castles were amongst the most imposing Romanesque castle complexes in Germany. Today, the Elisabeth Bower in the restored Creuzburg Castle commemorates the charitable woman.

Bach in prison and Goethe in love

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) were not canonised. However, the veneration that they receive in the world of music and literature amounts to saint worship. The two geniuses almost certainly never met. However, they both have history in Weimar. After ten years, Bach’s time in Weimar came to an unhappy end in the palace Bastille. The magnificent palace, now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Classic Weimar”, was once a moated castle belonging to the counts of Weimar-Olamünde, which was first documented in the 10th century. It was not until five hundred years later that the castle, called Hornstein Castle at that time and the most important remaining residence of the Ernestine dukes, was extended to become a Renaissance palace.

Therefore, the most famous scion of the Bach dynasty languished in a cell in the gatehouse of the Bastille, which also includes a castle tower and the court ladies’ house, for a whole four weeks. On account of his “obstinacy”! Because he had accepted a position at the court of Prince Leopold of Köthen, but had forgotten to obtain the consent of his previous employer in Weimar, Duke William Ernest. In the present-day exhibition rooms in the gatehouse, you can relive Bach’s time in Weimar in a multimedia exhibition accompanied by the sound of his masterpieces. And maybe the four-by-four metre room will reveal new evidence that this is where Bach composed the “Well-Tempered Clavier”, which conductor Hans von Bülow described as the “Old Testament” of piano music. This has not yet been proven.

What has been proven, however, with the help of diary entries and written correspondence is that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe listened to and appreciated Bach’s music in Weimar. There is also evidence that the all-round genius was interested in Buchfart Castle, a cave castle near Weimar. “Do you know the castle, dug into mountainous rocks, that rises up out of the valley towards the sky?”, Goethe wrote to a friend. He came back to the caves time and time again when he was hiking or riding via Buchfart on his way from Weimar to Grosskochberg to visit Mrs von Stein at her country estate. Today you can walk the “Goethe-Erlebnisweg” (Goethe Experience Trail) to reach the historical cave castle. The castle, which is located on the shell limestone precipice over the Ilm, is the only cave castle in Thuringia.

The chambers and cavities that are still visible today have probably been carved into the mountain since the 10th century as refuges. There are also a number of legends surrounding the cave castle, such as that of Trutina, the miracle woman of the mountain. For safety reasons, not because of Trutina, access is currently blocked. The impressive size of the rock cave can only be recognised from a distance.

Kapellendorf Castle as the Prussian headquarters

Today, Kapellendorf Castle in Weimarer Land is a popular destination for outings with its museum, castle courtyard, colourful markets and music and theatre events. With its 14th-century curtain walls, its defensive towers and a wide moat, it was practically predestined for use as the headquarters for a large part of the Prussian and Saxon Army during the battles of Jena and Auerstedt against Napoleon’s troops in 1806.

In Cospeda, there is a museum commemorating the Battle of Jena. From here, you can start the eight-kilometre NapoleonPfad (Napoleon Trail) along the SaaleHorizontale hiking trail. At the highest point of what is now the Windknollen Nature Reserve, you will find the “Napoleon Stone”.

The French emperor visited the city of Erfurt and Petersberg Citadel several times during the French occupation of the city between 1806 and 1814. The last time was in 1813 when he was fleeing after his defeat at the Battle of Leipzig. During this visit, Napoleon performed hair-raising horse riding stunts with his white horse on the walls of the citadel. Contemporary witnesses say that the emperor wanted to throw himself to his death to escape the humiliation of the defeat. Truth or legend? Find out; the thick walls of the fortress also hold many other secrets.