Ortenberg Castle: A look into the illustrious past of the Stolberg people

Ortenberg Castle: A look into the illustrious past of the Stolberg people

Ortenberg Castle shines in new splendor, and not just because of the extensive renovations in recent years. Last Saturday, the royal couple Alexander and Caroline zu Stolberg-Roßla opened the gates of the historic building as part of the “Talk am Turm” event series for the participants of the Büdinger Land Evangelical Deanery. As FNP reports, the princes welcomed the guests directly in front of the impressive castle portal and led them through the fascinating history of the building.

The castle has an eventful past that dates back to 1180, when the landlord Ortwin von Büdingen began building the keep and the shield wall. A look at the lower areas of the wall even reveals humpback blocks from the Hohenstaufen era, which bear witness to the long history of the place. In the 13th century, the former defensive structure became a city after the settlement became economically linked to the castle. The Stolberg family, who entered the history of this castle in 1535, made it their residence for a long time.

Historical renovation and enjoyment of art

With a series of inheritance divisions and disputes that resulted in renovations in the Renaissance and classicist designs, exemplary of the development of smaller aristocratic residences in the last centuries, the castle experienced constant change. The renovation under the royal couple, which began in 2000, was necessary after the castle became overcrowded in the post-war period. The restoration revealed numerous fascinating details, including artistic wall and ceiling paintings that had previously been painted over with distemper and emulsion paint.

Visitors had the opportunity to admire various interior details. Baroque and Empire furniture as well as impressive family portraits invite you to immerse yourself in the past. However, the historic building was not always treated with due care: During the GDR land reform, the Stolberg-Roßla family had to hand over their possessions, and some valuable historical materials were not carelessly disposed of, such as officer portraits that were used as insulation material.

A musical experience

The participants found the tour to be extremely informative and hospitable. A musical highlight was the performance by Prince Alexander, who played part of the Ascension Cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann, which was commissioned in 1736. This event fit wonderfully into the context, as a performance of four cantatas took place in the Marienkirche in Ortenberg in 2024, whereby the connection between music and history was impressively demonstrated.

But it's not just historical sites like Ortenberg Castle that shape the cultural landscape; the castles in neighboring Aargau also have their own special significance. According to Librum Publishers, the canton includes around a hundred well-known castle sites, including the famous Habsburg. These castles are not only witnesses to the past, but have also developed into popular excursion destinations where history can be experienced.

The commitment to preserving these historical sites is also reflected in the numerous publications that document the current state of knowledge about castles and their development.

If you are looking for relevant scientific research, you have many options. In addition to Google, which often serves as a starting point, alternatives such as BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine) or Dandelon offer valuable resources for scientific documents. Other interesting platforms are OAIster and Sciencegate, which provide access to a huge pool of information, as [Wissenschafts-Thurm](https:// Wissenschafts-thurm.de/ Wissenschafte-suchmaschinen/) highlights.

Together, these efforts help preserve cultural heritage and make both historical knowledge and living traditions accessible to future generations.