The only castle NOT destroyed at the Rhine: 12th Century Marksburg Castle, Braubach, Germany

"The Marksburg Castle is the only hilltop castle along the Rhine which has never been destroyed.
In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley there is a castle to be found every 2.5 kilometres on average, with over 40 of them still more or less intact. Many can be seen along the riverbanks and hilltops, and a lot of them are open to visitors. The vast majority of these castles, however,are relatively recent constructions of the 19th and 20th century. Most medieval castles had become ruins due to destruction and abandonment, and had fallen into disrepair. During the age of Romanticism in the 19th century, many ruins were then rebuilt and remodelled, e.g. Rheinstein, Reichenstein, Stahleck, Sooneck, Katz and Maus, and Lahneck. Stolzenfels Castle, which can be seen just across the river from Marksburg Castle, too, is a significant Romantic creation - but at the same time, it is not a proper castle anymore. There are very few exceptions such as Pfalzgrafenstein and of course Marksburg Castle that have survived the centuries without destruction and which today provide us with a glance back into previous centuries.
Totale Nordwest
The value and the significance of Marksburg Castle can be found in particular in its complete preservation as a medieval fortress. The impressive stronghold with most buildings dating back to the 13th to 15th century consists of wall rings containing keep, residential buildings, baileys and bastions all on top of a hill above the small romantic town of Braubach, and with its interesting, typical interior rooms such as castle kitchen, great hall, bedchamber, chapel, armoury, wine cellar and battlements it allows us to travel back into the Middle Ages."
A journey through 800 years of castle history
Early 12th century records mention the Noble Freemen of Brubach, even though the castle itself was first referred to in 1231. The Noble Freemen probably had a fortified house at the foot of the hill.
Wappen der Herren von Eppstein
The Lords of Eppstein built the Romanesque castle complex with its triangular layout, characteristic of the Staufer era. The Eppsteins were amongst the most powerful families at that time; four of them were archbishops and electors of Mainz, and one of them held the same position in Trier.
Wappen der Herren von Katzenelnbogen
The castle was bought by Eberhard II, Count of Katzenelnbogen in 1283. These counts belonged to one of the wealthiest lineages in the Rhineland. The counts of Katzenelnbogen built the Gothic part of Marksburg Castle, giving it its striking form.
Wappen Hessen
When the last Count of Katzenelnbogen died in 1479, the castle passed to the Landgraves of Hesse, through the marriage of the heiress Anna to Heinrich of Hesse. Marksburg Castle was turned into an early modern fortress with added artillery batteries and ramparts.
Nassau
When the old German empire broke up in 1803, the castle passed into the hands of the Duchy of Nassau. During this period, Marksburg Castle was only used as a home for invalids and as a state prison.
As a result of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau as well as Marksburg Castle was taken over by Prussia. Now it was used as living quarters for soldiers, but it was in danger of falling into disrepair due to governmental neglect.
In the year 1900, with the help of Emperor Wilhelm II, the Deutsche Burgenvereinigung (German Castles Association) was able to purchase the Marksburg for the symbolic price of 1,000 Gold Marks. This was done on the initiative of professor Bodo Ebhardt, privy court planner and architect in Berlin, who carried out extensive restoration works in the castle.
Logo Deutsche BurgenvereinigungToday the castle houses an extensive museum and the headquarters and offices of the German Castles Association, whose main task is the protection and preservation of castles and stately homes. The association's impressive specialist library, comprising over 25,000 volumes plus records on castle history is now housed in the Philippsburg Palace, also located in Braubach. There is also that the association's journal "Burgen und Schlösser" (Castles and Stately Homes) is published together with a series of books on castle research.
Source: www.marksburg....