posted 06-07-2000 12:02 PM
The following is a computer translation of the page on Burg Muzenberg from http://muenzenberg-hessen.de (the different spellings are deliberate)"Castle coin mountain
On an elevator back the castle coin mountain rises. With their two high-rising donjons they control the country far away and are the landmark of this region.
Conrad II. from the family of the Reichsministerialen of Hagen and Arnsburg has 12 around the center. Century in the best way the coin mountain by exchange, suitable for the system of a castle, acquired by the monastery Fulda. The establishment of the castle coin mountain can be added to the attempt of the Staufers Konrad Ill. to protect the Wetterau as realm territory of northeast, which was situated central.
The exact construction period of the new castle is not delivered; it admits is however that the son Conrads Il. of Hagen Arnsburg, Cuno I., starting from 1165 bore the name of the new place.
The romanischen building of origins from that 12. Century is above all the internal ringmauer, the eastern donjon and the southern Palas appropriate. The ringmauer follows oval stretched, the natural conditions of the mountain cone consisting of basalt. On the exterior the ringmauer with the embossment right parallelepipeds characteristic of the time of origin is disguised. The addressed donjon in the east of the castle is round, has a high-being situated input, about 10 m a deep sorts is over-curved, its romanischen portions reaches up to the beginning of the upper windows. The Palas divided into two parts is by the nobilitaet of its received detail forms a high point romanischer architecture. On the exterior a window arcade with round column in the center, consisting of eight elbows, displays a herrschaftlichen hall in the second upper floor. Stilistisch gives it references of the arcade arkadenwerksteine to the imperial palace in gel living (around 1170 builds). In the difference too outside the appearance of the Palas on the pagepage page is more moved. Windowwindow windows are in pairs or in a quadripartite group summarized. They are framed in each case by a chessboard or a Zackenfries. An acces portal to the upper floors with clover sheet is kept still complete. East at the Palas following - originally only - the burgtor also over-been situated chapel likewise still originates from that 12. Century, was transformed however in spaetgotischer time.
For the center 13. Century is provable a at least partial destruction of castle coin mountain due to fire debris. In the reconstruction by Ulrich Il. of coin mountain for second donjon necessarily held in the west of the castle one began at the same time.
1255 Ulrich II. died childless and the Muenzenberger possession thereupon divided. By acquisition and exchange 13 finally remained up to the end. Century the counts von Hanau and of falcon stone exclusive Ganherren of the castle, in the ownership structure of 1/6 (Hanau) and 5/6 (falcon stone).
Probably still in 13. The Falkensteiner on the north side of the castle a new Palas with adjacent restaurants' buildings established century, at the same time continued it the west tower begun, increased the available ringmauer under locking its zinnen, surrounded it with a further, lower wall bowl, so that a pre-aged walk along the battlements developed.
Around 1500 the last development phase of the castle coin mountain followed. In the inside the west tower was completed finally, between chapel and east tower builds one a new kitchen kuechentrakt. The introduction of the feuerwaffen required second, far pulled ringmauer. It received several flanking towers and in the west a large round bulwark. Exterior and internal ringmauer were connected by several bulkheads, so that a sequence of kennels resulted. The internal burgtor was now a middle and an exterior gate upstream. Without defense function a last wall ring was in the west of the castle.
Since the time around 1600 the castle was not no more maintained. With the becoming extinct of the Falkensteiner in the year 1418 the possession proportions of the castle continued to themselves splinter up, so that them could not serve their strategic purpose of the rule protection any longer. It is defining that the counts von Solms settled as possession successors of the Falkensteiner no more in the castle, but south of it. There the new forms of the representation (living lock) and the economics (property yard) could be carried out better.
Territorially the castle coin mountain came in the years 1806/10 to Hessen darmstadt, the landed property changed for 1935 Solmser hand out predominantly to the State of Hessen. At present the maintenance of the castle ruin coin mountain, which is due to their territorial-historical and build-artistic meaning an outstanding cultural monument of the Wetterau, is incumbent on the administration of the national locks and gardens in Hessen."
I hope that this right castle.
[This message has been edited by DEN (edited 06-07-2000).]