Hartenstein and Burg Stein

Burg means castle and stein means rock.  This castle was literally built on a rock above the river which served as a border between two middleage states.  It was built in the 1200's and used until about the 1500's when the owners, the Schonburg family, could afford to live securely in a palace built in the town of Hartenstein.  The family still owns the castle which was never modernized like most others.  It is a marvelous example of life in a castle in the middle ages.

 Unfortunately they have some construction going on in the only place where one gets a clear view of the burg.

Part of the burg is a museum and part is the town Standesamt or city office.  When we were there some of the newer part was being remodeled.  It is one of the homes of the Schonburg family which has owned it since about 1450.

The castle Keep is the most secure place accessed only by the little door you can see on the left side high up.  They would use a ladder and then draw it up after themselves.  Only problem was food and water supplies.  You could only last as long as your supplies lasted.

 This is the lower part of the keep wall and gives a good view of the natural rock that is part of the foundation of the burg.  The walls are about 5 feet thick and enclose some of the rock.  The lower two floors of the burg have funny narrow shaped rooms because of the shape of the rock.

Some of you may know what this is.  Suffice it to say, you would not have wanted to have to live near this wall.  It is quite near the present day entrance to the castle.  In it's active years the entrance was over a moat and drawbridge on the other side near the courtyard shown above.

This is the same man who was the tour guide when we visited years ago.  He is quite tall.  To go to the museum you climb a flight of stairs and ring a bell and he answers the door (only once an hour).  We took Dalyn and Marlee there and when the 'giant' answered the door poor Marlee screamed and ran.  The details below are from the original door to the right in this picture.  It is only about 5 1/2 inches tall so most people, especially the tour guide, have to duck.  People were lots shorter then, and their average life span was only about 35 years.

This is the one hinges and the big nails crimped on this side driven in from the other side.

One end of the narrowest room,  These rooms were heated by a fire on the floor of the room in a corner, no chimney.

At the museum entrance one can see the rock on the inside.  It makes a good place for the brochures.

This original staircase goes for two stories and is made of massive wood beams carved into shape and then stacked without nails or other joinings.  The walls and weight of the wood has held it together for 800 years.  It is a bit like our staircase at home in that you can see between the steps.

 The  town of Hartenstein is about 2 K away and is where the governing family lived from the fifteenth century, no longer using the burg as a home.  The palace was destroyed in World War II.  These two building around the town square are some of the oldest in the little town.