Wartburg Castle

THE WARTBURG CASTLE (OF EISENACH)

           

The Wartburg Castle is an important piece of German history that traces its legend all the back to the 11^th century. Situated beautifully atop a 1,200-foot steep climbing over looking the small town of Eisenach in central Germany. I’ve seen tons of pictures of this castle and it is amazing to see how it has developed through the history of Germany and how the country itself has developed throughout the life of this beautiful castle.

           

-Foundation laid in 1068 by Thuringian count, Louis the Springer, of Schauenburg.

            -When he first saw the mountain, he exclaimed “Wait, mountain—you shall bear a castle for me!”

            -Brought clay from his original home for the Castle to be built upon, so he could say he truly built it on his own land

            -The castle went through multiple transitions of power and possession.

            -The Weimar eventually took possession of Wartburg at the beginning of the 15^th century, setting the castle up for it’s decline

            -From the 1500’s until after the Napoleonic wars, the castle was set as a repair site and abandoned from power

            -During Martin Luther’s exile from the Church, he sought shelter at the Castle

            -Here, he lived as The Knight George and lived quietly and peacefully within the castle after his excommunication

            -The Wartburg is the site that Luther translated the New Testament into German

            -Because of its old age and rich history, the castle has been restored and renovated numerous times

            -Each renovation and different efforts of construction bring about a new era of building, slightly new modeling touches, and often even new drafts of old parts of the castle

            -Its constant refuge of outsiders has grown the Wartburg into a well-known pilgrimage within the German culture

            From my research, it is my understanding that the Wartburg is that type of monument and historic site that you cannot pass up when visiting Germany. The amazing pictures and setting that the castle rest upon makes this one of the most intriguing sites I believe we’re going to visit. The forest and high mountain scenery makes the setting around the castle look even more beautiful. Finally I believe it will be a pretty breathtaking and awestruck feeling when we realize that this was the site of Martin Luther’s Bible translation during his exile. You just don’t get to be at or understand many parts of history that iconic, you guys.