Heidelberg Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heidelberg Castle |
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Heidelberger Schloss
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic & Renaissance |
| Town or city | Heidelberg |
| Country | Germany |
| Construction started | before 1214 |
| Owner | Bishop of Worms (first known owner) State of Baden-Württemberg |
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Heidelberg Castle (called Heidelberger Schloss in German) is a famous old ruin in Germany. It's a key landmark of the city of Heidelberg. This castle is one of the most important Renaissance buildings north of the Alps.
The castle was badly damaged in the 1600s and 1700s. It has only been partly rebuilt since then. It sits about 80 meters (262 feet) up the Königstuhl hillside. From there, it offers amazing views of the old town below. You can reach the castle by a special mountain railway called a funicular railway. This railway runs from Heidelberg's Kornmarkt up to the top of the Königstuhl mountain.
The first castle building was put up before 1214. By 1294, it had grown into two castles. But in 1537, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle. The buildings you see today were mostly finished by 1650. After that, wars and fires caused more damage. In 1764, another lightning bolt started a fire that destroyed some rebuilt parts.
Contents
Castle History
Early Days of the Castle
Heidelberg was first mentioned in 1196. In 1155, Conrad of Hohenstaufen became the Count Palatine. This made the region known as the Electoral Palatinate. The first time a castle in Heidelberg was officially mentioned was in 1214. This was when Louis I, Duke of Bavaria received it from Emperor Friedrich II.
By 1303, records show there were two castles:
- The upper castle on Kleiner Gaisberg Mountain (destroyed in 1537).
- The lower castle on the Jettenbühl, which is where the current castle stands.
Most of what we know about the castle's early days comes from writings in the 1600s. These old books and maps describe the castle. One writer, Merian, mentioned in 1615 that Prince Elector Ludwig V started building a new castle "one hundred and more years ago."
A Royal Residence
When Ruprecht became the King of Germany in 1401, the castle was too small for him. He wanted more space for his large group of followers and guests. He also wanted stronger defenses to make the castle a true fortress.
After Ruprecht died in 1410, his land was split among his four sons. His eldest son, Ludwig III, received the Palatinate. Ludwig was an important judge for the emperor. In 1415, he held the deposed Antipope John XXIII captive at the castle.
The famous French writer Victor Hugo visited Heidelberg in 1838. He loved walking among the castle ruins. He wrote about its long history, saying it had been through everything that shook Europe for 500 years. He felt the castle always stood against powerful rulers.
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The castle in the 1500s, from an old book
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The castle and town, by Matthäus Merian
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A map of the castle and its defenses from 1622
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The castle with the beautiful Hortus Palatinus gardens around 1650
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A Romantic painting of the castle by J. M. W. Turner
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A floor plan of the castle from 1888
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Heidelberg and the castle by Christian Philipp Köster
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Wars and Damage
During the rule of Louis V, Elector Palatine (1508–1544), Martin Luther visited the castle. Luther was a key figure in the Reformation. He praised the castle's beauty and strong defenses.
In 1619, Frederick V, Elector Palatine accepted the crown of Bohemia. This decision helped start the Thirty Years War. This was the first time the castle faced a real attack. From this point on, the castle was no longer built upon. Instead, it faced centuries of destruction and rebuilding.
Castle Under Attack
After Frederick V's defeat in 1620, his lands were left open to attack. On August 26, 1622, General Tilly attacked Heidelberg. He captured the town and then the castle a few days later.
In 1633, the Swedes took Heidelberg and the castle. The emperor's troops later recaptured it in 1635. The castle stayed in their hands until the Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War. The new ruler, Charles Louis, moved into the ruined castle in 1649.
The Nine Years' War
After Charles II, Elector Palatine died, the French King Louis XIV claimed the Palatinate. This led to the Nine Years' War. On September 29, 1688, French troops marched into the Palatinate. They entered Heidelberg on October 24.
France decided to destroy all forts and lay waste to the Palatinate. This was to stop enemy attacks. When the French left the castle on March 2, 1689, they set it on fire. They also blew up parts of the Fat Tower. A French general, René de Froulay de Tessé, helped save parts of the town from total destruction.
The next ruler, Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, immediately rebuilt the castle walls and towers. But in 1693, the French returned. They took the town and then destroyed the castle even more. They blew up the towers and walls that had survived the first attack.
Moving the Court to Mannheim
In 1697, the war ended. Plans were made to take down the castle and use its stones for a new palace. But this was too difficult. So, the castle was just patched up. Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine thought about fully redesigning the castle. But he didn't have enough money. He did, however, put his favorite court jester, Perkeo of Heidelberg, in charge of the castle's wine. Perkeo became a famous symbol of the city.
In 1720, Charles had a disagreement with the Protestants in Heidelberg. He gave the Church of the Holy Spirit entirely to Catholics. Because of this, the Catholic prince-elector moved his court to Mannheim. He lost all interest in the castle. He even wished that "Grass may grow on her streets" in Heidelberg.
Moving to Mannheim also made sense because the old castle on the hill was hard and costly to turn into a modern Baroque palace. In Mannheim, the prince-elector could build a brand new palace, Mannheim Palace, exactly as he wanted.
Karl Theodor, Charles Philip's successor, thought about moving the court back to Heidelberg Castle. But on June 24, 1764, lightning struck the castle twice. This caused another huge fire. Karl Theodor saw this as a sign from heaven and changed his plans. Victor Hugo also saw it as a divine signal. He wrote that if Karl Theodor had moved in, the castle would have been decorated in a fancy style, losing its wild beauty.
After this, only basic repairs were made. Heidelberg Castle remained mostly a ruin.
The Castle as a Ruin
Slow Decay and Romantic Views
In 1777, Karl Theodor became ruler of Bavaria and moved his court to Munich. Heidelberg Castle was forgotten even more. Craftspeople used the rooms that still had roofs. People even took stones, wood, and iron from the castle to build their own houses. Statues and decorations were also taken.
By the early 1800s, the ruined castle became a symbol for people who loved their country. Artists like England's J. M. W. Turner visited Heidelberg many times. He painted the castle, often making it look even more dramatic and higher on the hill than it was. These Romantic painters loved the castle's ruined look.
The castle's savior was a French count named Charles de Graimberg. He fought to protect the castle from being completely destroyed. He saw it as a valuable historical site. Until 1822, he worked as a volunteer castle warden. He even lived in one of the castle wings to keep an eye on it. Graimberg was one of the first people to care about saving and documenting the castle. He helped make the castle famous through his pictures, which brought many tourists to Heidelberg.
Planning for the Future
For a long time, people debated whether the castle should be fully restored. In 1868, a poet argued for a complete rebuild, but many people disagreed.
In 1883, a "Castle field office" was set up. Experts made a detailed plan to save or fix the main building. They decided that a full rebuild was not possible. But they could preserve it as it was. Only the Friedrich Building, which was damaged by fire but not completely ruined, would be restored. This restoration happened from 1897 to 1900 and cost a lot of money.
Castle Ruins and Tourism
Heidelberg was known to travelers as early as 1465. But it became a major tourist spot in the 1800s. Count Graimberg's pictures of the castle became popular, like early postcards. Tourism grew even more when Heidelberg got a railway connection in 1840.
The American author Mark Twain described Heidelberg Castle in his 1880 travel book A Tramp Abroad. He wrote about how perfectly placed the ruin was, surrounded by green woods and looking down into deep valleys. He admired how nature had decorated the broken towers with flowers and vines. Twain felt that misfortune had actually improved the old tower, making it more beautiful.
In the 20th century, Americans helped spread Heidelberg's fame outside Europe. Today, many tourists from the USA and Japan visit Heidelberg Castle. The castle and its viewing terraces are the city's most popular attractions. Heidelberg gets over three million visitors each year.
Castle Timeline
Here are some key dates for Heidelberg Castle:
- 1225: First official mention as a "Castrum" (fortress).
- 1303: Records mention two castles.
- 1537: The upper castle is destroyed by lightning.
- 1610: The beautiful palace garden, the "Hortus Palatinus", is created.
- 1622: General Tilly captures the city and castle during the Thirty Years War.
- 1688/1689: French troops cause major destruction.
- 1693: The castle is destroyed again in the Palatinate succession war.
- 1697: Reconstruction begins.
- 1720: The royal court moves to Mannheim.
- 1742: Reconstruction starts again.
- 1764: Lightning strikes and destroys the castle once more.
- 1810: Charles de Graimberg begins his efforts to preserve the ruins.
- 1860: The castle is lit up for the first time.
- 1883: The "office of building of castles of Baden" is created.
- 1890: A detailed survey of the castle is completed.
- 1900: Major restorations and historical work are done.
Famous People Connected to the Castle
Frederick V, the "Winter King"
Frederick V, Elector Palatine married Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of the English king. Their wedding was very grand and costly. Frederick even had the Elizabeth Gate built for the celebrations.
Frederick V spent time in England and met important architects. These architects later helped with new building plans for Heidelberg Castle. One of them, Salomon de Caus, designed a huge garden for the castle. Building this garden on the mountain slope was seen as an "eighth wonder of the world" at the time.
Frederick V tried to make the Palatinate a leading Protestant power. In 1619, he became the King of Bohemia. But he lost a major battle and could not keep his crown. He was called the "Winter King" because his rule lasted only a little more than one winter. This led to the Thirty Years War. Frederick V became a political refugee, living in exile in the Netherlands until his death in 1632.
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine
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Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a duchess of Orléans and the sister-in-law of King Louis XIV of France. She was born in Heidelberg Castle. When her family line ended, Louis XIV claimed the Palatinate for himself. This started the War of the Grand Alliance, which devastated her homeland. Liselotte felt helpless as her country was destroyed in her name.
Liselotte grew up in Hanover and often returned to Heidelberg with her father. At 19, she married the French king's brother for political reasons. It was not a happy marriage for her.
Even after 36 years in France, she still thought of Heidelberg as home. She wrote many letters, around 60,000 in total! About a tenth of them still exist today. These letters describe life at the French court in great detail. She also wrote to Gottfried Leibniz, a famous philosopher.
Liselotte had a free and active childhood in Heidelberg. She loved playing in the town and walking in the hills. She once wrote about climbing a cherry tree early in the morning to eat cherries. She said, "My God, how often at five in the morning I stuffed myself with cherries and a good piece of bread on the hill! In those days I was lustier than now I am."
Charles de Graimberg
Count Charles de Graimberg was a French engraver. He fled the French Revolution and came to Heidelberg in 1810. He planned to sketch the castle and ended up staying for 54 years!
With his copperplate engravings of the castle ruins, he recorded their condition. He laid the groundwork for protecting the castle from falling apart completely. In his house near the castle, he collected items found at the castle. This collection later became the start of the Kurpfälzisches Museum. He even paid for his collection himself.
It is thanks to him that the castle still stands today. He also did the first historical digs at the castle. He lived in the castle courtyard for a while to stop people from taking building materials for their own homes.
Graimberg asked Thomas A. Leger to write the first guide to the castle. Victor Hugo bought a copy of this guide during his visit to Heidelberg. This copy, with Hugo's notes, is now in the Maison de Victor Hugo in Paris.
A plaque at the castle honors Charles de Graimberg. It says: "To the memory of Karl count von Graimberg, born in Castle of Paars (near Château-Thierry) in France 1774, died in Heidelberg 1864."
Heidelberg castle is home to the largest wine keg in the world!
Castle Buildings
Forecourt Area
The forecourt is the open space between the main gate, the Upper Prince's Fountain, the Elisabeth Gate, and the garden entrance. In the 1800s, it was used for drying laundry and grazing animals like cattle, chickens, and geese.
Main Castle Buildings
Ruprechtsbau, Ruprecht's Wing
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View of Ruprechtsbau from the courtyard
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View of Ruprechtsbau from the west
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Ruprechtsbau from west
Bibliotheksbau, Library Building
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The Library Building from the courtyard
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Detail of the Library Building's courtyard facade
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The Library Building from the moat side
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Frauenzimmerbau, Ladies' Wing
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The Ladies' Wing from the courtyard
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The Ladies' Wing
Englischer Bau, English Wing
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The English Wing in 1645, by Merian
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The English Wing
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A part of Heidelberg Castle
Friedrichsbau, Friedrich's Wing
This building stands where the old court chapel was. Because the old building was badly damaged, Elector Friedrich IV had this new residential building put up between 1601 and 1607. Johannes Schoch was the architect. The outside of the building has statues of the electors' ancestors.
Friedrich's Wing has the court chapel on the ground floor. The prince's living areas were on the upper floors. Even though it was hit by two big fires in 1693 and 1764, it is the best-preserved part of the castle. It was fully renovated from 1897 to 1900. The current roof and rooms on the second and third floors are from this renovation.
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Friedrichsbau from Thesaurus Picturarum, around 1601
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Friedrichsbau in Heidelberg in 1645, by Merian
Gläserner Saalbau, Hall of Glass
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View of the Hall of Glass from the courtyard
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The Hall of Glass at Heidelberg Castle
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Balconies of the Hall of Glass
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View of the courtyard through the balconies of the Hall of Glass
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Ottheinrichsbau, Ottheinrich's Wing
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View of Ottheinrichsbau courtyard facade
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View of Ottheinrichsbau in Heidelberg
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The Ottheinrichsbau of Heidelberg Castle
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Facade of the Ottheinrichsbau, part of Heidelberg Castle
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Kaisersaal (Emperor's Hall) in Ottheinrichsbau in 1895
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Interior view of Ottheinrichsbau
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Torturm, Gate Tower
You reach the forecourt by crossing a stone bridge over a partly filled-in ditch. The main gate was built in 1528. The original guardhouse was destroyed in a war. It was replaced in 1718 by a new arched entrance gate.
Other Interesting Spots
Goethe Memorial Tablet
In 1961, a stone tablet was put up on a ruined wall. It has verses by Marianne von Willemer. These verses remember her last meeting with Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1815. Goethe was a very famous German writer.
The poem talks about a high arched area where Goethe used to walk. It also mentions a secret message from a loved one.
Right across from this tablet is a Ginkgo tree. Goethe gave a leaf from a Ginkgo tree to Marianne von Willemer as a symbol of friendship. He even wrote a poem about the Ginkgo leaf.
The poem begins:
Ginkgo Biloba
This leaf from a tree in the East,
Has been given to my garden.
It reveals a certain secret,
Which pleases me and thoughtful people.
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A letter with this poem and two Ginkgo leaves can be seen in the Goethe Museum in Düsseldorf. The original Ginkgo tree that inspired Goethe is no longer standing today.
Harness Room
The old harness room was once a coach house. It was first built as a strong fortification. After the Thirty Years War, it was used as stables, a toolshed, and a place to keep carriages.
Upper Prince's Fountain
The Upper Prince's Fountain was designed during the rule of Prince Karl Philipp. His initials and the date 1738 are carved above the fountain house gate.
This fountain, along with the Lower Prince's Fountain, supplied water to the prince's homes in Mannheim until the 1800s. The water quality in Mannheim was so poor that wealthy families paid to have water brought from Heidelberg. There was even a special job called "Heidelberg Water-filler" at the royal court until 1777.
Gallery
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Heidelberg Castle and Old Bridge by night
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Heidelberg, aerial view of the old town with the Castle
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Heidelberg Castle, aerial view of the site
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Heidelberg Castle, aerial view of the site
See also
- Hortus Palatinus – the Heidelberg Castle gardens
- Garden à la française
- Heidelberg Tun
