POTTENSTEIN

Pottenstein, Baveria.

1000 A.D.

After visiting the neat Devil's Cave we went out to lunch and walked around to enjoy this adorable town in all its early spring glory. It seems more like a summer time tourist town, but on a quite Sunday, it made for a lovely day to walk around.

Schintzle! Brianna loves this stuff!!

Palatine Botho of Carinthia had acquired by marriage in 1057, the estates of the late Jurassic Margrave and Duke Otto of Schweinfurt by marriage to his daughter Judith. Since 1070 he "comes de Pott stones" called it, was the construction of the castle, which bore the name of the Palatine, probably done it before. Lack of male heirs Botho had passed his castle law before his death (1104) of the Bamberg Church. Bishop Otto I of Bamberg remained even twice - 1118 and 1121 - at the castle. Between 1114 and 1365 one Bamberger Ministerialengeschlecht is detected with 24 known people who called on the domicile. To meet 1121 Wecelo de messenger stones that appears already in 1114 without family. Erchinbertus dapifer de messenger stone was from 1203 to 1221 Bamberger Steward. Whether St. Elizabeth 1227 actually stayed at the castle - as the legend says - has not yet been proven.

Pottenstein had been fitted before 1323/27 with town rights, because in the first episcopal Urbar there is an entry: messenger stone castrum et oppidum sunt Epi (Scopi). 1348 Pottenstein was the seat of Bamberg office with extended high court circuit. The district has been the incorporation of the offices Tüchersfeld (1492), Leienfels (1594) and Gößweinstein (1637) substantially increased.

1128 Pottenstein was of the Hohenstaufen Duke Frederick of Swabia - the father of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa - attacked. During the Stauffer place burned down, the castle seems to have held. 1525 occupied and ransacked the insurgent peasants mountain castle, but citizens could prevent the demolition of stone pot. At the bombardment and capture by margrave troops on 18th May 1553 was a loss of 20,000 florins

The east of the main castle in the atrium is probably at the end of the 14thCentury emerged. In him was reached via a bridge blow, through two gates and a gatehouse. Here were the lower box house, which was built after demolition of the old building in 1497 again (= New box), more stables and the 1679 newly built Vogthaus and a cistern. In the upper castle a covered passage staircase led to high brick arch. The lower end of this tunnel in the forecourt secured a drawbridge. The castle tower had an elevator with a bay window. After the devastation of the Margrave War, the chapel was never rebuilt. The armory was left to 1580/81 lead to the high walls of the old, 1553 bulk burned house. The old, in the 11th Century resulting tower was already ruined 1703, 1712 stones fell down, so that 1720 had to be removed washed cuboid. Besides the aforementioned passage staircase led from 1682 still a lift to the upper castle. Despite two cisterns at the castle a donkey had to carry fresh water daily from the valley.

The subsequent history of the castle - like Gößweinstein and Streitberg - a battle against decay. The bailiff went down to the city in 1749. The castle served as a granary. Parts of the wall to the west of Bower rushed to the valley in 1779, after which the wall had to be placed almost entirely. Other parts of the wall were demolished in 1785 and 1812. Two adjacent buildings on the south side of the upper castle had to be canceled 1785th 1801 A single guard lived in the castle. The old tower surpassed in 1800 not even the bower and was demolished in the 1816th Part of the southern castle wall slid since 1854, in 1872 it broke the Stadelbau (= New Box of 1497) starting on the south side of the atrium. The dilapidated exterior wall was reinforced by three buttresses.

1878 bought the Nuremberg pharmacist Kleemann the castle from the Kingdom of Bavaria. It is thanks to him that the proud fortress has come in its then existing on us. Since 1918, the castle belongs to the barons of Wintzingerode.

Saint Elisabeth, widow of Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, was held hostage within its walls from 1228 to 1229. Many buildings bear her name even today. According to legend, while she was being threatened, the eggs and lard in her basket were transformed into beautiful roses — a local adaptation of the famous Miracle of the roses. Since 2004 there has been a very nice marked walking route through the town, known as the "Elisabeth Route".