Oberburg Castle

The Oberburg or 'Upper Castle' in Manderscheid is located on a hilltop that was levelled in order to construct the castle. It had, as can still be seen from the ruins, an almost triangular enceinte and a five-story bergfried or fighting tower that has been made accessible again. From the bergfried there is a clear view of the Niederburg or 'Lower Castle', the town of Manderscheid and the countryside of the Lieser valley.

The earliest record of the castle, which is first historically known from the feud over St. Maximin's Abbey in front of Trier between Count Henry the Blind of Namur-Luxembourg and Archbishop Albero of Trier, between 1141 and 1146. The free lords of Manderscheid first appear in 1142 in the list of witnesses in a deed of gift.

In the 14th century, the village of Obermanderscheid gave its name to the Electoral Trier Amt of Manderscheid, which existed until the late 18th century. However, the seat of government was not at the castle, but in the Kellerei of the neighbouring village to which Elector Baldwin had granted town rights in 1332 (according to other sources they were granted by King Louis the Bavarian as one of a number of rights). The local estates of the Elector of Trier formed a sort of bridgehead into the surrounding sovereign territory of Luxembourg. In 1673 the castle, still owned by the Electorate, was finally destroyed by French troops.

Today the ruins of the Oberburg were thoroughly renovated in 1921 by the municipality of Manderscheid, on whose land it stands, and it is open to the public.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Kurfürstenstraße 1, Manderscheid, Germany

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)