The Veste Coburg

The Veste Coburg (also known as the Franconian Crown), a medieval castle developed into a fortress, towers over the city of Coburg in the Upper Franconian border area with Thuringia. It has an area of about 135 by 260 meters and is very well preserved. The Veste is around 160 meters above the city center. On the slope of the castle hill, the Coburg Court Garden stretches in the direction of the city. The sister castle Veste Heldburg, once a secondary residence and hunting lodge of the Coburg dukes, is within sight in the Thuringian border area with Bavaria .

Veste Coburg

Veste Coburg was never conquered by fighting in its history, but it was taken by General von Lamboy in March 1635 after a five-month siege in the Thirty Years' War with the help of a forged letter in which Duke Johann Ernst allegedly ordered the surrender.

Story

Development of Veste 1250–2007

Veste Coburg was first mentioned in a document in 1225 as the property of the Dukes of Merania, and the oldest surviving parts of the castle also date from this period. Archaeological investigations place the origins back in the 10th century, but neither buildings nor documents have survived. In 1074, Archbishop Anno of Cologne founded the subsidiary monastery of Saint Peter and Paul, provost of the monastery in Saalfeld, on the Veste-Berg. In the 12th century ownership passed to the Counts of Dießen-Andechs, later the Dukes of Merania, and in 1248 to the Counts of Henneberg, 1291 to the Margraves of Brandenburg and 1312 again to the Counts of Henneberg. In 1353 she came to Frederick III by inheritance. the strict family of Wettin, in whose possession it remained until the end of the monarchy in 1918. Then in 1919 it took over the Coburg State Foundation, which has looked after the Veste since 1941 as a branch of the Bavarian Palaces and Lakes Administration.

building history

In 1225, the word "sloss" for Coburg appeared for the first time in a document translation. The complex probably already consisted of the main castle in the east with keep, palace and chapel and a bailey in the west. Around 1420/30 a triple ring of fortifications was built around the entire castle; the outer wall was originally reinforced with nine rondelles, six of which survive. In 1489, the High House (armoury) erected around the middle of the century in the western forecourt was renovated after a fire. After another fire in the Fürstenbau and in the stone bowerin 1500 these were subsequently rebuilt.

From 1531, Veste Coburg was expanded into a state fortress with the support of the state parliament. From 1533 onwards, the high bastion for cannons was built on the particularly endangered east side, which was completed in 1553. After the Schmalkaldic War, the fortifications were further strengthened, and a second entrance was established on the west side of the city. In 1614/15 Gideon Bacher from Ulm built the bastions of the Rautenkranz and Bunter Löwe to the side of the older southern entrance and the Bärenbastei to the west.

After the second siege, the occupation by the Imperials in the Thirty Years' War and the return of the Veste to Duke Johann Ernst on May 30, 1635, the fortifications were significantly strengthened. The magnificent portal in front of the southern main gate was completed in 1671. In 1782 a penitentiary was set up in the High House, and outbuildings served as a hospital and insane asylum. In 1820 the status of the fortress was revoked, from 1827 to 1838 the ten to twelve meter deep moat was leveled and a promenade laid out around the fortress. After redesigning the Veste in the Romantic stylein 1838 the art collections were housed there. In 1851, the Franconian half-timbered buildings in the courtyards were demolished and the Luther chapel was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style. Instead of a ridge turret from around 1680, the gate tower, today's Bulgarian tower, was built in 1857 and the stone bridge to the main gate was built in 1859.

Remodeling early 20th century

Due to damage to the structure of the Veste, an extensive renovation and redesign of the castle complex was carried out from 1909 to 1923 according to plans and under the supervision of the architect Bodo Ebhardt. Among other things, Ebhardt had the historicizing elements of the 19th century removed and replaced with elements from the 20th century, and the princely building, Luther chapel, guest house, Bulgarian tower, Carl Edward building, duchess building, castle tavern and covered battery rebuilt.

The impetus for the construction work was a donation of around 20,000 marks to restore the Luther chapel of the communities and the state parliament of the Duchy of Coburg for the wedding of Duke Carl Eduard and Viktoria Adelheid. Carl Eduard then arranged for the conversion and renovation of large parts of the partially dilapidated Veste. As an important cultural and national monument, he had the fortress set up for museum use and as a future residence. By the end of 1907, the assets in the fortress construction fund had grown to 146,000 marks thanks to donations. At the beginning of 1909, the projected total costs were estimated at 1.8 million marks according to Ebhardt's plans. Construction work officially began on April 13, 1909 with the restoration of the Fürstenbau.

Financing and construction cost control were in the hands of a committee for the expansion of Veste Coburg, headed by Max Oscar Arnold, and the Ducal Ministry of State as the client, which together with Ebhardt was in charge of construction management. Carl Eduard was very committed. He often had the plans presented to him and frequently inspected the construction site. In July 1910, the building sum determined by Ebhardt was 3.371 million marks. However, following an objection by the committee, this was reduced to 2.216 million. [1] From 1911 onwards, a nationwide money lottery ensured the financing of the preservation of Veste Coburg as an imperial monument. A total of seven series were played up to 1919 with a yield of 2.5 million marks.

With the settlement agreement of June 7, 1919 between Carl Eduard and the Free State of Coburg, the Veste became state property as part of the domain property. However, Carl Eduard had agreed for himself and his children to live in the Fürstenbau including a guest house for life. The further financing of the construction measure was initially provided by the Coburg State Foundation, to which the Veste was made available for the exhibition of the ducal art treasures, and then by the Free State of Bavaria, who took over the Veste as part of the domain when it was merged with the Free State of Coburg on July 1, 1920. The construction work, which employed an average of 100 people, was completed in early 1924. In October 1922, Ebhardt determined the total costs to be around 6.9 million marks.

The Duchess Building was inaugurated on May 27, 1914, and the exterior of the Prince Building was completed in the same year. After the installation of the furnishings, the former ducal couple could move into it, like the guest house, on December 6, 1920. The shell of the Luther Chapel was completed in 1910, the interior work lasted until 1923. The Carl-Eduard Building, also known as the Congress Building, was built by the end of 1921 and completed in 1924. A fortress consecration as the conclusion of the construction work took place on September 6, 1924 as part of a home festival with 50,000 participants.

Construction measures from 1945

Carl-Eduard-Bau and Steinerne Bower

On April 10th and 11th, 1945, the Veste was fired upon by US troops, causing severe damage to the building as a result of a fire, particularly in the Duchess Building, and partially covering the Congress Building. The other buildings were less affected. In the 1950s, the Duchess Building was restored in a simplified manner, in 1969 the renovation of the Carl-Eduard Building was completed with the addition of ceilings in the congress hall and a museum was set up in the building. From 1970 to 1972, the High House was prepared to accommodate the management, administration, library and museum workshops, and from 1981 to 1985 the stone bower was renovated and expanded. In the process, powerful, previously unknown foundations were excavated on the ground floor. Extensive rehabilitation work on the outer moats was completed in 1987.

After the right of residence of the ducal family expired in 1998 with the death of Friedrich Josias, the refurbishment and restoration of the princely building for the exhibition of the art collections of the state foundation as the sole user followed between 2003 and 2008 for 7.7 million euros.

defense

Veste Coburg has a variety of defensive weapons. Portcullis, iron gates and a ten meter high entrance portal can be seen from the outside. Inside there are walkways and pitch pits, among other things. Through these and other measures, it was never possible to overcome the fortifications. The large bastions (Lion's Bastion) and the deep ditches and high bridges that have been preserved also show the craftsmanship and planning that went into this fortress.

art collections

→ Main article: Art collections of Veste Coburg

The art treasures of the Coburg dukes, which are among the most important art and cultural history collections in Germany, were transferred to the Coburg State Foundation.

paintings and sculptures

The collection of old German paintings and sculptures includes works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, who often stayed at Veste Coburg at the beginning of the 16th century, by Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald and by Tilman Riemenschneider.

Kupferstichkabinett

Duke Franz set up the print room. It comprises a collection of around 330,000 sheets of watercolours, hand drawings and prints from the late 15th century to the present, including works by Martin Schongauer, Albrecht Dürer, Cranach and Albrecht Altdorfer. Special collections contain leaflets from the Reformation and Counter-Reformation as well as items from the time of Martin Luther and Luther's life.

glasses

Treasury Glass

The glass collection includes around 2700 precious glasses. The focus is on Venetian glass in one of the most extensive collections outside of Venice, painted and cut glass from the Baroque and Rococo periods, and glass from the 19th century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The Venetian glasses come from a collection of Duke Alfred.

coin cabinet

The Coin Cabinet contains approximately 20,000 objects. In particular, Saxon coins made of gold, silver and non-ferrous metals from the 14th to the 19th century are worth mentioning.

armor and weapons

It includes parts of the princely armoury, the hunting weapons collection of the Coburg dukes, inventory of the town's bourgeois armory and the booty of Prince Friedrich Josias from the Turks. The oldest pieces are Gothic wooden shields. The Rohmann Collection mainly consists of weapons from Graz. Heavy arquebuses, field armor and artillery originate from the Thirty Years' War; Richly decorated tournament armor, polearms and the armor of a court dwarf are reminiscent of courtly life. There is also a 49-barrel cannon called Emma.

floats and tournament sleds

A remarkable collection of floats and tournament sleighs is on display in the Duchess Building, including two richly decorated gilded Renaissance wedding carriages. The gilded float for the second marriage of Duke Johann Casimir to Margarethe was a dowry from the bride's mother, Dorothea von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (Dorothea von Denmark). It is the oldest roadworthy car of its kind.

Martin Luther

Luther Room

On April 15, 1530, Martin Luther came to Coburg. Together with the theologians Philipp Melanchthon and Justus Jonas, he was on his way to Augsburg as a companion of Elector John the Steadfast. Since the reformer was under excommunication and imperial ban, he had to stay behind in the safety of Coburg and could not take part in the Reichstag in Augsburg. He lived and worked on the Veste from April 24, 1530 to October 4, 1530 together with his secretary Veit Dietrichand his nephew Cyriacus Kaufmann, a son of his sister. He had a study and a bedroom at his disposal. Luther was in close correspondence with his friends in Augsburg. Luther wrote 16 writings (Sermons), translated books of the Old Testament, Aesop 's Fables and wrote around 120 letters. The Luther Rooms were dedicated to the memory of the stay at Veste Coburg. However, they were not used by Luther himself in the way they were installed in the guest wing of the princely living quarters in the 19th century. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the posting of the theses in Lutherstadt Wittenberg from May to November 2017, the Bavarian State Exhibition curated by the House of Bavarian History entitled Knights, Peasants, Lutherans was shown in the Veste Coburg.

Luther Chapel

Luther chapel organ

A church on the fortress hill was first mentioned in 1075. In 1851, Friedrich Strieb erected a new building based on a design by Carl Alexander Heideloff in place of the Castle Church. Bodo Ebhardt planned the reconstruction from 1910 to 1923. It is a two-axis, high chapel with a net vault. There is a tall and a short tracery window to the west. In the short window, the stained glass shows portraits of the Saxon rulers, Elector Frederick the Wise and his brother John the Steadfast, as well as the last Duke of Coburg, Carl Eduard, and his family. Saints Peter and Paul and coats of arms are depicted in the high window.

The organ comes from the Münchberg preparation school. In 1922, Steinmeyer from Oettingen carried out a conversion and an enlargement. The instrument has thirteen registers on two manuals and pedal. Bodo Ebhardt designed the three-part organ case. A five-eighths gallery is attached to a volute console under the prospectus, which carries an atlas.

Luther monuments

In the outdoor area, behind the Luther chapel, is the sculpture Light and Power (light bringer on horseback) designed by Hans Klett in 1913 as a Luther memorial. On the stone bower in the outer courtyard of the Veste there is a bas-relief that the Coburg artist Edmund Meusel created in 1930.

Miscellaneous

According to estimates by the forestry office, a now impressive specimen of the sequoia was planted on Veste Coburg around 1860, which can already be seen from afar from the south-west. This tree has now reached a height of 32.8 meters and a trunk circumference of 6.25 meters at a height of one meter (as of March 20, 2020).

See also

Art collections of Veste Coburg

List of museums in Bavaria

List of castles and palaces in Bavaria

literature

Daniel Burger: Fortifications in Bavaria German Fortifications Volume 1). Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7954-1844-1, pp. 65–72.

Verena Friedrich: Castles and Palaces in Franconia. 2nd Edition. Elmar Hahn Verlag, Veitshöchheim 2016, ISBN 978-3-928645-17-1, pp. 116-123.

Rainer W. Hambrecht: A late medieval construction site. The Veste Coburg after the fire of 1500 and the share of the Nuremberg master builder Hans Beheim d. Ä. on reconstruction. In: Werner Taegert (ed.): Hortulus floridus Bambergensis. Studies on Franconian art and cultural history. Imhof, Petersberg 2004, ISBN 3-935590-71-7, pp. 219–232.

Peter Morsbach, Otto Titz: City of Coburg Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments [ed.]: Monuments in Bavaria . Volume IV.48). Karl M. Lipp Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-87490-590-X.

Cornelia Stegner, Klaus Weschenfelder: The Veste Coburg and its collections small art guide no. 871). 25th revised edition. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2018, ISBN 978-3-7954-4603-1 .

Klaus Weschenfelder: Veste Coburg. history and shape. Edition Braus, Heidelberg 2005, ISBN 978-3-89904-196-5 .

web links

Commons: Veste Coburg - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Official website of the Veste Coburg Art Collections

Veste Coburg. In: Coburg.de

Virtual tour of Veste Coburg. In: Das-Panorama-Magazine.de

Literature from and about Veste Coburg in the German National Library catalogue

Literature from and about the art collections of Veste Coburg in the catalog of the German National Library

itemizations

Esther Reinhart: Max Oscar Arnold (1854–1938) . Volume 21 of the publication series of the Coburg Historical Society, Coburg 2007, ISBN 3-9810350-3-8 , p. 37, 35, 38, 48

Paintings and sculptures - art collections of Veste Coburg. Retrieved January 22, 2020 (German).

Art collections of Veste Coburg. coburg.de, retrieved on January 22, 2020

Luther Trail Guide

Hermann Fischer, Theodor Wohnhaas: Old organs in the Coburg region, Part III. Yearbook of the Coburg State Foundation 1972, p. 89.

Ordinance on natural monuments in the area of the city of Coburg. Wikipedia