Pfalzgrafenstein Castle
pfalzgrafenstein castleThe early ears
Google Satellite view
Dock and wooded area
Castle with breakwater
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein with Burg Gutenfels in the background, about 1900
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (
German:
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a
toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the
Rhine river near
Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz," this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting.
The
keep of this
island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected 1326 to 1327 by King
Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. In 1477 Pfalzgrafenstein was passed as deposit to the
Count of Katzenelnbogen.
[1] Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun
bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic
baroque tower cap.
The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored, as it worked in concert with
Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. A chain across the river forced ships to submit, and uncooperative traders could be kept in the
dungeon until a ransom was delivered. The dungeon was a wooden float in the well.
Unlike the vast majority of Rhine castles, "the Pfalz" was never conquered or destroyed, withstanding not only wars, but also the natural onslaughts of ice and floods by the river. Its Spartan quarters held about twenty men.
The island of the castle was used for the Rhine crossing by 60,000
Prussian troops under
Blücher in the winter of 1814 in his pursuit of
Napoleon.
The castle was acquired by Prussia in 1866, and toll collections ceased in 1867. It continued to be used as a signal station for the river boat traffic for about another century. In 1946, the castle became property of the State of
Rheinland–Pfalz.
The State eventually turned "the Pfalz" into a museum and restored the color scheme of the baroque period. The museum reflects the conditions of the 14th century, and the visitor will not find modern amenities such as electricity or a lavatory. It is accessible to the public via a ferry service from nearby Kaub as long as river conditions permit.
The area is part of the
Rhine Gorge, a
World Heritage site
Castle description
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein
The Castle forms an elongated scalene Hexagon in plan view, the three-storey Bering on the basic form reminds a downstream vessel of 47 m long and 21 m maximum width, which rises about 13 m above the Rhine, with five round, above such th. polygon Eckthürmchen of Lord 2.2, partly 2.8 m clear span, which does not advance outside holds in its top, triangular with large sandstone blocks and cross braces at the end-the Castle House.
In the open galleries surrounded (25.1 m long, wide up to 12.4 m) inner court rises the exterior symmetrical five sided, inside the rectangular keep with its approximately 37 m above the Rhine Ronan hood, his sharpest corner, which is a spiral staircase connecting the 6 floors, the Burghause turning on the top floor with a, fitted with round-arched barrel vault in the previous two.
Castle Pfalzgrafenstein House
The Castle House contains a bottom 3 pressed round Lancet arcades with squares open columns against the Court Hall with three rectangular rippenlosen vaulted ceilings and a trowel Council a trapezoidal space with barrel vault that is accessible and illuminated by 2 slots only by the Hall. An in the wall thickness, driven down into the rock well shaft is located at one end of the Hall.
On the second floor, the space above the Hall at 2.9 m wide 4 rippenlose cross vaults, against the Court in the Middle has a fireplace between coupled Windows, separated by a rectangular pillar opposite 2 Arcaden convey a connection with trapetzförmigen space lit by two narrow Windows and covered with a vault of stitch Cap.
The third floor is updated. The spiral staircase contained within an Eckthurm connects the floors of the Castle House and the Court be ring.Wall Pfalzgrafenstein
The wall contained deep stitch sheet panels, which are smaller aperture with slanted side walls for the shooting holes in 2 floors.
On the ground floor a pillar carved from a single piece is set up later (such as in the 16th century) each diaphragm pillar opposite rothem sandstone, which in the middle of octagonal, top and bottom is being placed under an outline in the square formed by platelets and ogee and has a cube-shaped bottom off nestled head. These pillars carry the wooden galleries of the second floor, which lie with their shelters on the ramparts on high Stichbogen of slate. These are above both reinforced after the Court and externally and by raw projected arched frieze to take the Battlement parapet forming the third floor.
Thürme Pfalzgrafenstein
The related to the galleries in connection Eckthürme with monastery vaults rise above the roofs of the Wehrganges and wear pyramid roofs. The located at the bottom of the Castle Tower, in which the left above contains a fourth Holy cross vaults. Wood be fabric Bay window are the Eckthürmen in the 17th century above been submitted. A wooden Bay window protects the downstream the needle Lancet entrance to the Burghofe, which, accessible, can be kept only by a ladder through a Portcullis, which was lowered by a winch mounted in the Bay window.
The keep was accessible by a train and Schiebebrücke and, as Merian's view shows still 1645 with Wehrgange vorgekragtem fries arch and 5 Eckthürmchen provided, which gave to the curved roof.
L. of [cracks and description of architect of Peter in Wetzlar in the Palat. Yearbooks 46, op. cit., pp. 50-54 and table 6-9. Views by Simrock, the picturesque Rhineland P237 (West side); Albert, Rhine album; Sachs & Rossel, no.3 (North side).]
Illostration of medeval ship of stone
Floor plan
Interior Hallway showing narrow access stairs
Interior Courtyard from level 2
Panarama view of bow room
High waters on The Rhine
Unknown dateed photo of city walls and ferry garrison tower
Interior room view with person for scale
View from upper castle to ferry
Hilltop Castle that protects the vally. (Now a Hotel)
t
More detailed photos
Next blog to be a system neutral fantasy setting based around the Ship of Stone.
In 1950, it was sold to Bitumen and Oil Refineries Australia Pty Ltd and in 1951 sold to the Miller Steamship Company Ltd and renamed 
