From my manuscript and notes of "Castles of Germany", photos removed.

Castles of Germany

By Baron Frederick Von Thrauthemburg un Morsbach Morris

Into -

This book is an introduction to the castles and great estates of Germany and the United States, each has its own history, many are open to the public where others are owned privately by the families.

Many of the photos and notes are taken from my diaries and journals during extended tours throughout Germany and the USA. My thanks and gratitude to family and friends who contributed to this book, provided photos, and the families living in these estates and who’ve provided histories and information.


ErzbichofburgThe Archbishop's Castle in Eltville


The castle in eltville was built on the banks of the Rhein in 1330. Until its destruction in 1635 it was the seat of the Bishops of Mainz, In the "Grafensaal" (Hall of the Counts) of the castle, Gutenberg, the inventor of printing, received the only tribute paid to him during his life-time. He was summoned into the court services by Adolf II of Nassau, Archbishop of Mainz, and thereby achieved economic security for his old age. A printer's workshop, dating from the 15th century, set up in one of the rooms, testifies to his work. The Castle is open to the public April-October.

Castle Klopp

Klopp Castle was erected upon the foundations of a Roman fortress and in the Middle Ages was the seat of the bailiff of the Archbishop of Mainz. It was here that Emperor Henry IV was taken prisoner by his illegitimate son and subsequently forced to renounce the crown. The Castle is open to the public daily.

Castle Bingerbruck


Situated at the head of the Binger Loch, Ehrenfels was a vital stratig point in the Middle Ages. It was here that the Archbishops of Mainz levied tolls, which, since this was the narrowest and most dangerous part of the journey along the Rhein, no ship could avoid paying. In times of war the treasures of Mainz Cathedral were held here for safe keeping. The castle was built in the first half of the 13th century, but destroyed in 1689, the ruins make a most picturesque sight.

Burg Rheinstein – Trechtingshausen

Particularly characteristic of the Rheinland castles is the position on a cliff, 260 ft. above the river. First mentioned in 1279, the castle became the property of the influential archbishop of Trier, Kuno von Falkenstein, in the 14th century. At the beginning of the 19th century Prince Friedrich of Prussia acquired the ruins and had them rebuilt in psudo-Gothic style. Rheinstein contains a collection of armor and art treasures of the 16th & 17th century, which is well worth seeing.


Godesburg Castle

As early as Roman times there was a shrine on this basalt hill towering up out of the plain. Previous to that the Germanic peoples had a place of sacrifice there (Wotansberg). The mediaeval castle, built around 1210, was a favorite residence of the Cologne Archbishops. In the so-called "Cologne War" it was overwhelmed by Archbishop Ernest von Bayern's troops and blown up. Rebuilt once again, it was finally destroyed in 1794. The views from this location are those found in many scrap books and a favorite tourist location.


Drachenfel Castle

On the wild, jagged Drachenfels towering up so mightily above the river, there once stood a proud castle, of which today only the high tower is still to be seen. The hill and the castle enjoy tremendous popularity and are visited yearly by countless numbers of people. The view from the 1050-ft.-high summit is considered one of the most famous on the Rhein. The former masters of the castle, the Counts of Drachenfels, had a winged, fire-spitting dragon in there coat of arms. This ties up with the saga of Siegfried, who is reputed to have slain the dragon, which lived in a cave on the hillside, and then bathed in the blood. Lord Byron and many other poets glorified the Drachenfels. In the last century the hilltop and the tower were jeopardized by the stone quarries, which had been continually extended, until the Government stepped in, taking over the peak and safeguarding the ruins from any further danger of subsidence. These ruins are open to the public all year round.

Schloss Stolzenfels


Some miles above Koblinz lies Stolzenfels half way up the hillside opposite the mouth of the River Lahn. Its ruins were reconstructed by the famous architect Schinkel, under commission to King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. Once the seat of the Trier Archbishops, it has now been restored in a pseudo-Gothic style and serves today as a museum. The Castle is open to visitors, this castle is one of a few that bring to mind ancient castles, knights and Kings. Many weddings are perfumed here providing a princely back drop for any photographer.

Burg Lahneck


This castle's praises were sung by the young Goethe in 1774, in his poem "Geistesgruss" ("Hoch auf dem alten Turme"). It is situated where the River Lahn joins the Rhein and was the northernmost fortress of the Mainz Electorate, built in 1240. Although it had fallen into complete ruin by 1688, it was restored in the original style in 1860.

Sooneck Castle

The initial construction dates back to the year 1000 and the time of bishop Willegis of Mainz. It had, however, fallen into ruins by 1689. Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia acquired it in 1834 and had it rebuilt in psudo-Gothic style, as with the castles of Rheinstein and Stolzenfels. It is impressively situated, perched high over the "Soonecker Grund". The Castle is open to the Public.
Burg Stahleck

One of the most famous of the Rhein castles, and once closely connected with the history of the townlet of Bacharach, Stahleck received its first mention in 1135. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa handed over the castle, originally in the possesion of the Cologne Archbishops, to his brother Konrad, whose daughter, Agnes, much against her father's will, secretly married her childhood love, Henry of Welfen, son of Henry the Lion. Thus an end was brought about to the bitter feud between Guelf and Ghibelline. Today Stahleck serves as a Youth Hostel.
Heimburg Castle in Niederheimbach


The 13th century castle, with its 82-ft.-high tower used to be in the possesion of the Mainz Electorate. It fell into decay in the 17th century, but was later converted, in the 19th century, into a summer residence by Hugo Stinnes. It is currently owned by the Stinnes family. The Castle is open to the public.



Reichenstein Castle near Trechtingshausen

Above St Clement's Chapel, on the banks of the river, rises Reichenstein, one of the oldest castles on the Rhein. In the 13th century it was greatly feared as the hide-out of robber knights. It has twice been destroyed, once by the League of Rhenish Cities, and then again by the great opponent of the robbers, Emperor Rudolf von Hapsburg. Reichenstein Castle was rebuilt around 1900 and now houses a significant private collection of antlers and weapons.


Castle Gutenfels

The Pfaltz is one of the most curious fortified construction in the world. Built at the begining of the 14th century by Lewis the Babvrian for purpose of levying tolls on the Rhein, this island fortress was only once conquered in the autumn of 1504, Landgrave William of Hesse tricked and overcame the Spanish occupying forces with the help of a young girl, "little Elsa of Caub". Disguised as a lansquenet, she polited the attacking troops through the straits of the river. The Castle is all year round.
Castle Gutenfels
The castle and Caub, the town lying at its feet, became part of the Palatinate in 1277. It dates back to the first half of the 13th century and is in a splendid state of preservstion. With its stately three-storeyed palace and majestic 95-ft.-high belfrey, it presents a magnificent example of a Rheinland castle. Today it is used for the training of apprentices by an industrial concern, the management of which put the premises at the disposal of the Youth of Europe for courses and congresses. The Castle is not open to the public.
Rheineck Castle

The History of this Castle is long and serves as one of the mysteries of wealth, murder and historical happenings.
The castle was erected between Brohl and Niederbreisig by the Palatinate Electors. It was destroyed as early as 1151 by King Konrad III and again in 1282 by Rudolf of Habsburg. Only the 64-foot-high tower and Romanesque chapel remain of the mediaeval construction. In 1832 Joseph Carl von Lassaulx added a new section. Partly Occupied - Museum - Restaurant - Open April thru October


Castle Schonburg

Oberwesel, a town whose praises were sung by many a poet of the romantic period, is dominated by Schonburg castle. This, with its many towers, is one of the most majestic on the Rhein. Particularly characteristic is the huge wall away from the river, the "Hohe Mantel". The Lords of Schonburg constituted one of the most famous Rhein families. Friedrich von Schonburg, the last male descendant of this line, who lived in the 18th century, bore the proud title of Marshal of France. He also played an important role in English history and died when crossing the River Boyne with William III. Today the part overlooking the Rhein has been converted into an International Kolping Youth Hostel.


Thrauthemburg Castle

This castle was built for the Baron Von Thrauthemburg in 1655 was transferred to the Morsbach Family in 1712. The two families were united by marriage in 1754 when the Duke Von Thrathemburg married Baroness Elizabeth von Morsbach. The family currently live in the castle and therefore it is not open to the public. The family has open their farm located in Weston, WV and their art gallery “The Beacham Fine Arts Gallery” located in Colorado Springs to the public.


Marksburg Castle

This castle, towering on a high crag above Braubach, is the only fully preserved mediaeval fortress on the rhein. It was owned successively by the Eppsteins, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, and, from 1479, the Landgraves of Hesse, until it fell to the Prussians in 1866, along with Braubach. In 1899 Kaiser Wilhelm II presented the castle to the "Association for the Preservation of German Castles". This association has spared no effort or expense in looking after the building, and has repaired the heavy damage suffered under artillery fire during the last war. The tower, 130 ft. high, is a well-loved landmark for miles around. Inside, the castle offers its many visitors an authentic picture of mediaeval fortified and domestic architecture.

Thrauthemburg, Germany

From my notes -Touring Germany

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Touring Germany would not be complete without a stop in the historic city of Aschaffenburg. Aschaffenburg is a city in North West Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Main River. The City Gardens are wonderful, clean and peaceful. Americans added to the gardens over the years in the form of American squirrels and chipmunks that roam freely throughout the park. The gardens are well kept and serve as a gathering place for residents and tourists. Although it is within Bavaria, the city's inhabitants claim to be Franconia’s, not Bavarians.
Aschaffenburg, was originally a Roman settlement. Roman legions erected a small fort here during their occupation, it is now park of the city park, centered in a moat. Saint Boniface erected a chapel to Saint Martin, and founded a Benedictine monastery. A stone bridge over the Main was built by Archbishop Willigis in 989. Duke Adalbert increased the importance of the town in 1122 by building several structures and increased trade in the city. In 1292 a synod was held in Aschaffenburg, and in 1474 an imperial diet, was decided which is sometimes called the Aschaffenburg Concordat. In 1842-1849, King Ludwig I of Bavaria built himself a country house, called the Pompejanum, so called because of its likeness and imitation of the house of Castor and Pollux at Pompeii.
The principality of Aschaffenburg and Thrauthemburg, deriving its name from the city, comprehended an area of 1694 km². It formed part of the electorate of the Archbishop of Mainz who was also the Duke of Morsbach, and in 1803 was made over to the chancellor, Archbishop Charles of Dalberg. In 1806 it was annexed to the grand duchy of Frankfurt; and in 1814 was transferred to Bavaria, in virtue of a treaty concluded between that the factions and Austria. The two families, Thrauthemburg and Morsbach retain title as Duke and Baron von Thrauthemburg un Morsbach, a small landed area in Bavaria and another near Aschaffenburg.
Aschaffenburg’s most interesting building, the Schloss Johannisburg, was built around existing foundations and buildings between 1605-1614 by Archbishop Schweikard von Kronberg, it contains a library with a number of incunabula, a collection of engravings and paintings; the Stiftskirche, or cathedral, founded in 974 by Otto of Swabia, duke of Bavaria. Several structures within the complex date from the early 12th century and there are various monuments by the Vischers, a sarcophagus with the relics of Saint Margaret, and a famous painting by Matthias Grünewald; the Capuchin hospital; a theatre, which was formerly a house of the Teutonic Order; and several mansions of the nobility. The Schloss (palace) as has a nice restaurant and provides a host of local wines, a great stop before touring the rest of the gardens and the city proper.
Aschaffenburg was once a mighty US Military based community, within the city there once was the famous US Army 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and various VII Corps elements including the 9th Engineer Brigade, located in once were the Ready Kaserne, Smith Kaserne, Graves Kaserne, Fiori Kaserne, Engineer Kaserne and Jaeger Kasern, housing armor, infantry, engineer, maintenance and artillery elements. The last of the bases and facilities will be returned to the city at the end of 2007, sadly ending a twin city link to many in the United States.
The city proper was rebuilt after WWII, many of the old building fronts remain, giving the city a warm but historic feeling. Tourist are welcome, the long history between the USA and the city provides an open air, and friendly feeling. Most shop keeps speak English, many American still live and work in the city, choosing to remain or retire in Aschaffenburg. Many older buildings have been restored, shops are filled with antiques, stamp collectors still meet yearly in one of several “Brief Mark” (stamp) shops, and artist have established galleries throughout the shopping area. Several well known American artist maintain residence in Aschaffenburg, why’ll a number of others have established a collective and exhibit art in the city.
Aschaffenburg hosts several 5 star restaurants, an afternoon tea (German style) and city cafés that rival France’s best in every way possible. The city is exceptionally clean, vendors take great care and pride in their shops and public areas. Shoppers are polite, and fill the street on market day. If you’re in the market for “real” antiques, Victorian prints and wonderful carpets, Aschaffenburg is the place for you. The city gallery, what Americans would consider a mall, is filled with every modern fixture available, stylish clothing, great shoes, more shops, and wonderful places to eat that are very cost effective for the tourist on a budget. Here, the train station still operates as it did for more then 100 years, news stands carry English papers and magazines though not as many as they once did, and fast food is a mix as anywhere else in the world. Hotels are excellent, well cared for, clean, and hospitable. The typical morning breakfast is a boiled egg, toast and coffee, it can be your start of the day for wonderful shopping and great touring.