We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Die Baugeschichte der Burg Altwied.
- Authors
Ulrich, Stefan
- Abstract
The castle of Altwied was the seat of one of the most important families of medieval Rhineland counts. The castle and the town lie in a loop of the Wied about 5 km down-stream of Neuwied. The ruin is about 200 m in length overall, consisting of a long extended inner bailey with outer flanking barbicans and two outer baileys, the outer one linking up with the town walls. The castle proper consists of two distinct parts: a complex of several residential buildings together with a main entrance in the west, and a residential building redolent of a curtain wall in the east. The latter, a narrow building of 15 x 8 m. height unknown, dating from the 12th century was converted in the 13th or 14th century into a hall. In the process it acquired a new court façade with framed square moulding and coupled triforia, and a new storey was added. It owes its present appearance to simple rebuilding work following a partial collapse ca. 1600. Two gable walls of the western building -- the 'Frauenbau' -- are still standing. This building also originally dates from the 13th century (and acquired its name -- 'women's building' -- at a later date) and was radically redesigned ca. 1622. Following 'restoration' in the 19th and 20th centuries, it is no longer possible to obtain an accurate picture of the residential building opposite. However, it is known for certain that the remains known locally as St George's chapel also date front the 19th century. The main gate to the inner bailey is an original from the 13th century: it underwent simple repairs, probably following damage from an earthquake, and iron tie bars were subsequently inserted in the ashlar to prevent any future bulging. Their projections are still visible today. Although the two western outer baileys were built, one after the other, in the 15th or 16th century, the design of the second bailey had already been planned when the first one was being built. The passageway in the slate rock was not a secret passage, but probably served to supply water since it led conveniently to the Wied.
- Subjects
RHINELAND (Germany); GERMANY; CASTLES; ARCHAEOLOGICAL excavations; PRESERVATION of architecture; MEDIEVAL architecture; FORTIFICATION
- Publication
Burgen und Schlösser, 2010, Vol 51, Issue 2, p92
- ISSN
0007-6201
- Publication type
Article