History of the Cheb Castle began in early 12th century, when in the place of the former Slavonic settlement the second oldest castle in our territory was built. Its following destiny is narrowly connected with the mighty imperial dynasty of the Hohenstaufs. The famous Fredrik I Barbarossa later majestically extended the castle and changed it into a sumptuous pfalz (palatinate). The torso of once majestic palace, the massive defensive Black Tower and above all the unique Romanesque Gothic St. Martin, Erhard and Ursula Chapel have preserved till these days.
The castle experienced hard and unstable times, many wars and conquests, too. The castle went through its last development stage at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries when it was partially reconstructed into a Baroque citadel.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.