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The inspired hill of Vézelay
The Burgundy hill of Vézelay, which French writer Paul Claudel named “eternal”, has been drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims (nowadays more likely tourists) since time immemorial. It has also drawn strife, battles and pillage: the big monastery was no less than six times destroyed by fire, and always rebuilt. Here, the Second Crusade was preached on Easter Day of 1146 by Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, whom King Louis VII of France had summoned to be lectured on the sort of penance his royal person should submit to to atone for his many sins: Bernard chose the Crusade. Crusaders congregated here as well for the Third one, in 1190.
The history of Vézelay began around 850, when Count Girard de Roussillon founded a nunnery at the foot of the hill, in the locale now occupied by the village of Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay. Fifteen years later, the nuns had been replaced by monks for reasons that never reached us. What we know is that further to a Viking raid on Burgundy in 887, the monks took refuge at the top of the hill, in the remnants of a Roman oppidum, and never went down again.
Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the monastery they built on the hilltop was placed in 1050 under the patronage of Mary Magdalene, further to the claimed transport of her bones from the Holy Land by a monk named Badillon. This so-called “transposition” was validated by the Pope, but the people of Provence rebelled fiercely against that ruling: it had indeed always been well known that the saint, who had been the very first, even before the apostles, to see Christ resuscitated, had left the Holy Land and come to France where she finished her life in the mountains of the Sainte- Baume, which were named after her. Her bones had been kept in the basilica of Saint-Maximin, the largest church in the whole of Provence.
Thus sanctioned by the Pope, and confirmed yet again by Pascal II in 1103, the claim of the Vézelay monks drew immense crowds (and brought enormous riches). The fact that they also claimed to have the bones of Martha and Lazarus were not for nothing in the considerable attraction the abbey had on a pilgrimage-hungry Christendom. However, the Provençal people were victorious in the end, when they revealed that the bones of the Magdalene, which had been hidden during the 900s as the Saracens drew nearer, were opportunely re-discovered in 1279. This time, Pope Boniface VIII found in their favor and that ruling was never overturned: the pilgrimage to Vézelay was dead, even though the big church kept its dedication.
The rest of the history of Vézelay is a long downhill walk. In 1537, the Benedictine monks are replaced by canons. In 1568, the Protestants seize the church and burn it again. Finally, in 1819, lightning strikes and sets the church aflame for the last time. When architect Viollet-le-Duc, mandated by Minister Prosper Mérimée, arrives on-site in 1840, the abbey church of Vézelay is but a gutted carcass, ready to collapse. That same year, the church was put on the first list of French Historic Landmarks (“Monuments historiques”) and restoration works were undertaken urgently; they were to last until 1861, and many other such works have been undertaken since.
The church was granted basilica status in 1920, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as it is the starting point of one of the major Paths to Compostela, the Via Lemovicensis, so-named because it runs through the large city of Limoges.
On that day of June 2024 I went to Vézelay as a side trip during a photographic expedition for the Fondation pour la Sauvegarde de l’Art Français, one of the non-profit heritage organizations I work for as a pro bono photographer, it was raining. Therefore, I took no photo of the outside, but instead concentrated on the inside. Furthermore, a lot of what can be seen on the outside, including the façade and the tympanum, are re-creations of the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, and thus much less interesting for our purpose.
Closeup shot of one of the sculptures on the tympanum illustrating the peoples of the world. Here we see on the left the mad, deformed and diseased, and on the right a depiction of those who have not yet been evangelized and are still considered half-animal, in this instance cynocephalus beings, i.e., humans with dog heads. Tomorrow I will upload another closeup showing pig-faced human beings.
It is to be noted that such depictions are not the product of Mediæval beliefs: they were so described by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder († 79 CE), and this sculpture tells us that this author was still read by the clergy during Romanesque times.
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
No acostumo a posar aquí fotografies antigues de la guerra civil, o de les guerres mundials (ja tinc un altre lloc per a això), però he de fer una petita excepció, aquí. Vaig trobar a Internet en venda una serie de fotografies originals, provinents d'un album d'un membre de la infame Legion Condor. Formaven part segurament d'un album fotografic recollint les seves experiencies bèliques. Com vaig veure que unes quantes clàrament mostraven el camp de batalla del Ebre, que conec prou bé, vaig decidir fer-me amb elles per a poder-les compartir amb tots vosaltres. Pe això les pujo aquí, per a integrar-les amb l'album que tinc dedicat a la batalla del Ebre.
L'autor de les imatges sembla que fou Erich Schumann (1914-1999), de Halle-Saale. Després de la guerra civil, va lluitar i sobreviure a la Segona Guerra Mundial.
Probablement, això és Corbera d'Ebre poc despres de ser aniquilada pel bombardeig artiller i aeri, durant la Batalla del Ebre. No he trobat gaires fotografies de Corbera bomberdejada, i la majoria semblen com a minim de diversos anys després. Però considerant que aquestes fotos les varen fer membres de la Legion Condor sense dubte son de durant la batalla, poc després de que Corbera caigués de nou, ara completament destruida, en mans feixistes.
Aquesta és una de les imatges del grup que no sé del cert que sigui Corbera, però com anava amb el grup on si n'hi havia clarament (es veu el campanar, en altres), és possible que ho sigui.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legi%C3%B3_C%C3%B2ndor
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I do not indent to put old photos of the spanish Civil War, or the World Wars here (I already have another place for that), but I have to make a small exception, here. I found a series of original photographs for sale on the Internet, from an album by a member of the infamous nazi Legion Condor. They were probably part of a photo album recounting their war experiences. As I saw that a few clearly showed the battlefield of the Ebro (1938), which I know well enough, I decided to take them so I could share them with all of you. That's why I upload them here, to integrate them with the album I have dedicated to the battle of the Ebro.
The owner of the album, and probably photographer, was a Legion Condor veteran named Erich Schumann (1914-1999), from Halle-Saale. He also fought as captain in the Luftwaffe in WW2.
Shocking view of Corbera d'Ebre shortly after being destroyed by artillery and aerial bombardment, during the Battle of the Ebro. The Legion Condor was an active part of this. I haven't found many photographs of Corbera just bombed, and most of them look like at least several years later. But considering that these photos were taken by members of the Condor Legion, they are certainly from during the battle, shortly after Corbera fell again, now completely destroyed, into fascist hands.
I'm not sure if this is Corbera, but some other pictures of the group certainly are.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxQZ_gKCHtk
Finally after 4 years of looking I found lizards at Whitespots, I feared they had been lost due to countless fires destroying the habitat
World War II Memorial complex Saur-Mogila was destroyed in August 2014 during the armed conflict in the east of Ukraine.
Der Yardang Geopark ist nicht frei zugänglich. Kein Individualverkehr, keine PKW, keine Fahrräder, keine Fußgänger. Immer, wenn sich 50 Menschen zusammengefunden haben, fährt ein Bus zu den wichtigsten Aussichtspunkten. Bislang fand ich es immer befremdlich und belächelte asiatische Touristengruppen, die z.B. hier bei uns in Heidelberg aus den Bussen regelrecht herausquollen, sich gierig auf irgendwelche Sehenswürdigkeiten stürzten um alsbald wieder zum Bus zurückhetzten und zur nächsten Attraktion weiterzufahren. Und jetzt ?! Jetzt steckt man mich selbst auch in so einen Bus. Ausgerechnet MICH, der ich immer so viel Wert auf Freiheit, Individualität, Ruhe und Muße setzte. Aber, hilft ja nix, besser in dem Gedränge das Naturwunder erleben, als komplett drauf verzichten. Dennoch, es zerreisst mir fast das Herz, dass man auf diese Weise das, was für mich das ganz Besondere dieser Landschaft ausmacht, nämlich Weite, Einsamkeit und natürlich Stille nicht erleben kann.
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The Yardang Geopark is not freely accessible. No individual traffic, no cars, no bicycles, no pedestrians. Whenever 50 people come together, a bus brings them to the most important viewpoints. Till now I have always found it strange and ridiculed Asian tourist groups, which, e.g. here in Heidelberg, literally oozed out of the buses, greedily plunged into any sights to rush back to the bus and continue to the next attraction. And now ?! Now I am put in a bus like that myself. ME, who always put so much emphasis on freedom, individuality, calm and leisure. But, that's the way it is, it's better to experience the natural wonder in the throng than to do without it entirely. Nevertheless, it almost tears my heart that in this way you cannot experience what makes the landscape so special for me, namely expanse, loneliness and of course silence.
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Dear Flickr friends, stay at home, stay safe !
A Caterpillar used for crushing concrete into smaller pieces sits inbetween two buildings in muddy soil in the Binondo District, Manila, Phlippines.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp6gzhxNPXk&feature=related
B&W - Serial
Copyright: ©Uros Zunic. All rights reserved. Please do not use this image, or any images from my photostream, without my permission.
Today was a "destroyed drop" day .. every spash has many holes in it. I don't know why ??? Maybe because i wasn't in the mood ..
View my work on : My Website and FB Page
A jetty at the shore of the Schlei inlet near the village of Sieseby, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Some background information:
The Schlei is a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It stretches for approximately 42 kilometres (26.1 miles) from the Baltic Sea near Kappeln and Arnis to the town of Schleswig. Along the Schlei are many small bays and swamps. It separates the Angeln peninsula to the north from the Schwansen peninsula to the south. The important Viking settlement of Hedeby (resp. Haithabu) was located at the head of the firth, but was later abandoned in favor of the town of Schleswig. A museum has been built on the site, telling the story of the abandoned town. In 2018, Hedeby and the nearby defensive earthworks of the Danevirke were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Schlei's name was once presumably Angel, later giving its name to the region Angeln. This name derives from the Norse word angr (in English: "narrow"). Angel therefore meant "narrow fjord", which fits the long and narrow Schlei well. The current name is thought to have been used only for the inner Schlei. It is beleived to be connected with the Danish word slæ (in English: "reeds" resp. "water plants").
The Schlei stretches 42 km from Schleimünde through Kappeln and Arnis to the town of Schleswig, passing through the rolling hills of Schleswig-Holstein and separating the regions of Angeln and Schwansen. It has an average width of 1.3 km (0.81 miles) and an average depth of 3 m (10 feet), resulting in a water surface area of 54.6 km² and a volume of 163.8 million m³.
The Burgsee (with Gottorf Castle on castle island) was once the innermost part of the Schlei but was cut off in 1582 by Adolf I, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf , with the construction of the Gottorf Dam, which is now about 28 metres wide and nearly 100 metres long. The main tributary of the Schlei is the Füsinger Au, which flows into the Schlei at Winningmay. Smaller tributaries include the Grimsau, as well as two streams named Mühlenbach, one near Schleswig and one near Kappeln.
In the Middle Ages, the Schlei held great importance as a trade route within the Baltic Sea region. The overland distance from Schleswig to the Treene, a tributary of the Eider river, was only 16 kilometers (10 miles). This made it an ideal location for the exchange of goods between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. As early as 1075, the chronicler Adam of Bremen referred to Hedeby, the Viking settlement near Schleswig that was destroyed in 1066, as a maritime harbor. From this port, ships reportedly traveled as far as Sweden and Greece. After Hedeby's destruction, the nearby town of Schleswig took over this role, although it never matched Hedeby's prominence.
By the late 14th century, ships like the Hanseatic cog had grown larger, and the Schlei had become too shallow, while Schleswig was too far from the open Baltic Sea. As a result, the Schlei gradually lost its significance as a trade route. Schleswig ultimately ceded its status as a trading hub to Lübeck and Flensburg but remained the seat of a bishopric. However, even today, the Schlei between Schleimünde and Kappeln is occasionally used as a transport route for commercial shipping.
With its just 100 residents, Sieseby is a village that belongs to the municipality of Thumby in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. Sieseby lies directly on the Schlei and features a ferry terminal with a few berths and a slipway for launching small boats. During the summer months, the public Schlei ferry service stops at Sieseby. The village is accessible via the K77 district road, which branches off from the B203 highway. Sieseby is particularly renowned for its many restored thatched-roof houses. Since 2000, the village has been protected as Schleswig-Holstein's first designated cultural monument of an entire area.
The hamlet of Sieseby was first mentioned in a document in 1267. But as its church already dates back to the late 12th century, the village is even older. Since the early 16th century, Sieseby belonged to the nearby aristocratic estate Bienebek Manor. For more than three centuries, the village was more or less a housing complex for the estate staff. But in the early 19th century, both Bienebek Manor and Sieseby were acquired by Gustav Anton Schäffer, a wealthy merchant from the city of Hamburg. As from 1839, he had the old houses renovated and new houses built for the estate workers, many of which still bear his initials "G.A.S.".
In 1887, the ducal family of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg acquired Sieseby along with Bienebek Manor for 615,000 Reichstaler, which corresponds with a sum of roughly 11 million Euro. Today, most of the properties in Sieseby remain part of the Glücksburg Ducal Estate Trust, which means that their occupiers are still just the tenants of their beautiful historic residences. But as far as I know, they have to pay just a nominal rent.
Art gif series homage to Paul Jaisini 25th years anniversary. Paul Jaisini destroyed his artworks to paint invisible paintings in 1994 RGB Glitch effect
Original GIF (438 × 640) www.flickr.com/photos/76120775@N08/48789150852/sizes/o/
Jello Biafra, of the punk band Dead Kennedys, runs for mayor of San Francisco in September of 1979. He came in fourth.
The original: res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1329,w_2...
ICONIC Alexandra hair
SEUL Destroyed denim set
ROC Sabrina Tiptoe
Avenge Chains Choker
Belleza Freya Mesh Body
Catwa head
Axix Witness cords
Infected Tattoo
JESUS ❤️ SAVES
10 The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:10)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so they might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
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My THANK'S to all those who have taken the time to view, fave, comment or share my photo's with others. I really appreciate it! ❤️
Destroy Boys in concerto allo Slam Dunk Festival di Bellaria-Igea Marina foto di Andrea Ripamonti per www.rockon.it
Strong people of our indomitable country!
Eight years of war against us. The 20th day of full-scale invasion. Attempts to destroy us all, to destroy Ukraine. We are fighting for our lives. We are fighting for our lives against missiles, bombs, artillery, tanks, mortars and everything else that Russian troops are using to destroy us. Everything else that Russia is destroying itself with now.
Because every shot at Ukraine, every blow at Ukraine are steps towards Russia's self-destruction. Steps to self-isolation, poverty and degradation.
Everyone who just wants to live and has something to think with is leaving Russia. Scientists, artists, businessmen, IT specialists, etc. The Russian state has not experienced such a blow at human capital for decades. A blow, which it inflicted on itself. We do not care. This is not our problem.
Our problem is to save our people. The strength of our society. Its scientists, its artists, its businessmen, its people, its strong people. All our Ukrainians who defend the state and bring closer the peace that every Ukrainian needs.
Last night there were air alarms almost all over our country. The airport in Dnipro was destroyed by a missile strike. Kharkiv. Russian bombs hit residential areas. Artillery. Mortars. Fighting continues in the region - Izyum, Chuhuiv.
Disassembly of wreckage in Rivne after the missile strike on the TV tower is ongoing. As of now, 19 casualties are confirmed.
Ancient Chernihiv and Oster are under such a brutal attack by Russia that it has wiped out any claims to its cultural ties to the times of Rus’. The invaders have no roots, no memory and no soul.
Russian troops attacked Kyiv, attacked Kyiv residents. Four apartment buildings were destroyed. Disassembly of the debris is still ongoing. As of now, five casualties are confirmed.
I will tell you in Russian: this happened in our capital. In the city that you always called “the mother of Russian cities”. That made our nations historical. And that you bombed today. Just people, residential areas. Bombed and bombed again. We don't need such children. No, thanks.
The invaders continue to consider the capture of our capital as their key goal, their political goal. They hope that control over Kyiv will give them control over Ukraine. This is absolute absurdity from all points of view.
To further strengthen the defense of the capital and the Kyiv region, I appointed Hero of Ukraine, Lieutenant General and Commander of the Joint Forces Operation Oleksandr Pavliuk head of the regional military administration.
Dismissed head of the regional administration Oleksiy Kuleba will help the military leadership.
Therefore, the Kyiv direction and the situation in the region will get even more attention.
Major General Eduard Moskaliov became the new commander of the Joint Forces. Professional man, patriotic man. The decree is signed.
Every morning, every evening, I thank the military. I thank all our heroes who bravely defend our state. All who stop the enemy despite the fact that the invaders are many times more. Dozens of times.
And now, today, I want to speak about all peaceful Ukrainians who were taken away by this war.
Eternal memory to everyone who died for Ukraine! Eternal curse to the enemy who took thousands of lives.
Humanitarian corridors have been partially opened today. There is a corridor from Sumy, Trostyanets, Lebedyn, Shostka and Konotop in the direction of Poltava.
The invaders did not stop the shelling and disrupted humanitarian corridors in the Kyiv region.
The convoy with humanitarian cargo for Mariupol also remains blocked. For several days in a row. But still little by little people are leaving the besieged city by private transport.
I want to thank SES officers, police, doctors and everyone else who saves people for this important work. And of course, I am thankful to our military.
Today I spoke at the summit organized by Great Britain, a friend of Ukraine - Boris Johnson. I addressed the United Kingdom Joint Expeditionary Force. Spoke to the leaders of the Baltic states and the countries of northern Europe.
I said what, of course, all our citizens would like to say.
About NATO. About help. About sincerity and... the fact that not everyone took a moral stance in response to the Russian war.
Each of more than 800 Russian missiles that have hit our country is an answer to a long-standing question about NATO. Whether the doors of the Alliance are really open for Ukraine.
If they were open, if it was fair, we would not have to convince the Alliance for 20 days that the sky over Ukraine should be closed. Closed to the death brought by the Russian Air Force. But... They don't hear or don't want to hear us yet. Some Allies have intimidated themselves. Saying that they allegedly can't answer. They cannot collide with Russian missiles and planes in the sky of Ukraine. Because this, they say, will lead to escalation, will lead to World War III...
And what will they say if Russia goes further into Europe, attacking other countries?
I'm sure it's the same thing they say to Ukraine. Article 5 of the NATO treaty has never been as weak as it is now. This is just our opinion.
When some members of the Alliance are afraid to be truly an alliance capable of protecting everything for which it was created. Freedom and democracy. Humanity and justice. We need to look for effective guarantees. Guarantees for us, for our sky. And we will not give up. We need planes. And I will continue to talk about it, I will continue to pursue it.
We need long-term security guarantees for the state. For all Ukrainians.
Concrete things. Concrete guarantees. Legally enshrined. So that there is no doubt in them. And so that no excuses sound. As they sound now, when we turn to those who signed "Budapest" and who... had the power to stop the Russian invasion even before it began. Using preventive measures. By helping Ukraine, which is convincing. Using sanctions that do not allow war.
Ukrainians!
There are more than 40 million of us in our state. And millions more around the world. This is a great force. Plus our friends. Plus many of our partner countries. We all now have a common task, a national task. We must put pressure on Russia so that the price for this war against Ukraine becomes extremely painful. So that everyone in the world takes a moral stance. Not only states, but also companies. I'm talking about business.
Large corporations that still sponsor Russia's military machine and have not left the Russian market, although they should have done so immediately. As soon as the world saw what Russian troops were doing on our Ukrainian land.
You know these brands. They are well known. And there are no secrets here.
Nestle, Mondelēz and other giants of the food industry. As well as Raiffeisen, Societe Generale and other banks. BASF, Samsung and LG. Bayer, Sanofi and other pharma companies.
Unilever, Johnson & Johnson... And dozens of other companies. And that's billions of dollars.
We turn to the world. To states and to people. But this is not just the work of politicians.
I appeal to Ukrainians. To everyone and in any country. Where you can influence it. Everything is in your power. All business with Russia must be stopped. All trade operations.
So that they can't sponsor the killings. Killings of us and our children. So that dollars and euros are not paid for blood. Please contact politicians. Put pressure. Talk to reporters. Boycott their products.
They must feel our strength! They must feel your strength!
Because we have the strength.
Glory to Ukraine!
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Plus 2 in comments
Theme: INSPIRED BY A BOOK/MOVIE/POEM
This is inspired by Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
It was a pleasure to burn.
It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.
Ray Bradbury
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."
Ray Bradbury
"Era una gioia appiccare il fuoco.
Era una gioia speciale vedere le cose divorate, vederle annerite, diverse.”
"Per distruggere una cultura non c'è bisogno di bruciare i libri: è sufficiente indurre la gente a non leggerli più."
Ray Bradbury
Shot taken for the Igp Project Photographer. The theme of the challenge this week was: "Inspired by a book/movie/poem".
Things I've been asked:
Did you burn a book for real? Well, yes and I did not like it...even though this was not a real, published book, but a promotional one.
See it on Fluidr.
All my images are copyrighted. Please, do not use them without my allowance. Thank you.
My entry for the LMC, destroyed vehicle category. I'll be uploading photos of it not destroyed when I get some time.
_Video Log 177_
Everything was destroyed. I never thought they could find our base, but they did. They call themselves SMOF, they're weapons were too much for us. We couldn't handle it. Everything was lost. I am only one of seven survivors. I am now hiding in an abandoned weapons room. They have been passing by here for days now, they never found me until...
_Signal Lost_
Who said the SMOF Faction were a bunch of good guys? Alright, this is the dio I was talking about but I added a building. It took me about an hour to make, I hope you like it.
At 2150hrs (0950PM) on the 6th of September 2014, 30km south of Charleville, Queensland, a truck carrying 53 tonnes of ammonium nitrate crashed into Angelalla Creek by the historic railway bridge, igniting flames. As the truck driver escaped to safety, a passerby on the southern end and another truck on the northern end stopped to help. The passerby on the southern end went to a nearby station to alert authorities, subsequently fire and ambulance teams arrived at the scene. The ammonium nitrate was alight in flames for about an hour before a minor explosion occurred, alarming those involved to keep away from the fire.
As the fire and ambulance team backed away from the fire, a major explosion occurred. The explosion entirely destroyed the road bridge and railway bridge, that stood since 1897. The blast radius was more than 1km and the affect of the blast could be felt for over 30km away. A police car traveling to the scene was damaged about 1km away from the blast.
Eight people were injured. The truck driver, the four firefighters, one police officer, and two bystanders. It was described as a miracle that there were no fatalities. The truck driver received burns to 35% of his body while the firemen, police officers, and two bystanders suffered multiple fractures, lacerations, head and chest injuries, and deep burns from the explosion.
On that day Charleville firefighters went beyond the call of duty and have been recognised for their efforts; Commissioners Medal of Valour: LT Jake Sullivan, LT Peter Hackwood, Commissioners commendation for bravery: FF Nathan Thompson, FF Clinton McCarthy. The four firefighters also received the "Pride of Australia Award". Amongst the devastation a small fragment of the driver's bible was found; Pslam 31.
A memorial was later erected to remind highway commuters of the incident, recycling remaining pylons of the 1890s railway bridge found after the explosion.
Ammonium nitrate was the chemical found to be the cause of the Beirut explosion in August 2020.
Source: Murweh Shire Council, Queensland Government (www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/ex...), & Frontiers (www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.657996/full)
Heidelberg - Heidelberger Schloss
Heidelberg Castle (German: Heidelberger Schloss) is a ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.
The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is located 80 metres (260 ft) up the northern part of the Königstuhl hillside, and thereby dominates the view of the old downtown. It is served by an intermediate station on the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway that runs from Heidelberg's Kornmarkt to the summit of the Königstuhl.
The earliest castle structure was built before 1214 and later expanded into two castles circa 1294; however, in 1537, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle. The present structures had been expanded by 1650, before damage by later wars and fires. In 1764, another lightning bolt caused a fire which destroyed some rebuilt sections.
Before destruction
Early history
Heidelberg was first mentioned in 1196 as "Heidelberch". In 1155 Conrad of Hohenstaufen was made the Count Palatine by his half-brother Frederick Barbarossa, and the region became known as the Electoral Palatinate. The claim that Conrad's main residence was on the Schlossberg (Castle Hill), known as the Jettenbühl, cannot be substantiated. The name "Jettenbühl" comes from the soothsayer Jetta, who was said to have lived there. She is also associated with Wolfsbrunnen (Wolf's Spring) and the Heidenloch (Heathens' Well). The first mention of a castle in Heidelberg (Latin: "castrum in Heidelberg cum burgo ipsius castri") is in 1214, when Louis I, Duke of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach received it from Hohenstaufen Emperor Friedrich II. The last mention of a single castle is in 1294. In another document from 1303, two castles are mentioned for the first time:
The upper castle on Kleiner Gaisberg Mountain, near today's Hotel Molkenkur (destroyed in 1537);
The lower castle on the Jettenbühl (the present castle site).
All that is known about the founding of the lower castle is that it took place sometime between 1294 and 1303. The oldest documented references to Heidelberg Castle are found during the 1600s:
The Thesaurus Pictuarum of the Palatinate church counsel Markus zum Lamb (1559 to 1606);
The "Annales Academici Heidelbergenses" by the Heidelberg librarian and professor Pithopoeus (started in 1587);
The "Originum Palatinarum Commentarius" by Marquard Freher (1599);
The "Teutsche Reyssebuch" by Martin Zeiller (Strasbourg 1632, reprinted in 1674 as the "Itinerarium Germaniae").
All of these works are for the most part superficial and do not contain much information. In 1615, Merian's Topographia Palatinatus Rheni described Prince Elector Ludwig V as he "started building a new castle one hundred and more years ago". Most of the descriptions of the castle up until the 18th century are based on Merian's information. Under Ruprecht I, the court chapel was erected on the Jettenbühl.
Palace of kings
When Ruprecht became the King of Germany in 1401, the castle was so small that on his return from his coronation, he had to camp out in the Augustinians' monastery, on the site of today's University Square. What he desired was more space for his entourage and court and to impress his guests, but also additional defences to turn the castle into a fortress.
After Ruprecht's death in 1410, his land was divided between his four sons. The Palatinate, the heart of his territories, was given to the eldest son, Ludwig III. Ludwig was the representative of the emperor and the supreme judge, and it was in this capacity that he, after the Council of Constance in 1415 and at the behest of Emperor Sigismund, held the deposed Antipope John XXIII in custody before he was taken to Burg Eichelsheim (today Mannheim-Lindenhof).
On a visit to Heidelberg in 1838, the French author Victor Hugo took particular pleasure in strolling among the ruins of the castle. He summarised its history in this letter:
But let me talk of its castle. (This is absolutely essential, and I should actually have begun with it.) What times it has been through! Five hundred years long it has been victim to everything that has shaken Europe, and now it has collapsed under its weight. That is because this Heidelberg Castle, the residence of the counts Palatine, who were answerable only to kings, emperors, and popes, and was of too much significance to bend to their whims, but couldn't raise his head without coming into conflict with them, and that is because, in my opinion, that the Heidelberg Castle has always taken up some position of opposition towards the powerful. Circa 1300, the time of its founding, it starts with a Thebes analogy; in Count Rudolf and Emperor Ludwig, these degenerate brothers, it has its Eteocles and its Polynices [warring sons of Oedipus]. Then the prince elector begins to grow in power. In 1400 the Palatine Ruprecht II, supported by three Rhenish prince electors, deposes Emperor Wenceslaus and usurps his position; 120 years later in 1519, Count Palatine Frederick II was to create the young King Charles I of Spain Emperor Charles V.
Reformation and the Thirty Years Wars
It was during the reign of Louis V, Elector Palatine (1508–1544) that Martin Luther came to Heidelberg to defend one of his theses (Heidelberg Disputation) and paid a visit to the castle. He was shown around by Louis's younger brother, Wolfgang, Count Palatine, and in a letter to his friend George Spalatin praises the castle's beauty and its defenses.
In 1619, Protestants rebelling against the Holy Roman Empire offered the crown of Bohemia to Frederick V, Elector Palatine who accepted despite misgivings and in doing so triggered the outbreak of the Thirty Years War. It was during the Thirty Years War that arms were raised against the castle for the first time. This period marks the end of the castle's construction; the centuries to follow brought with them destruction and rebuilding.
Destruction
After his defeat at the Battle of White Mountain on 8 November 1620, Frederick V was on the run as an outlaw and had to release his troops prematurely, leaving the Palatinate undefended against General Tilly, the supreme commander of the Imperial and Holy Roman Empire's troops. On 26 August 1622, Tilly commenced his attack on Heidelberg, taking the town on 16 September, and the castle a few days later.
When the Swedes captured Heidelberg on 5 May 1633 and opened fire on the castle from the Königstuhl hill behind it, Tilly handed over the castle. The following year, the emperor's troops tried to recapture the castle, but it was not until July 1635 that they succeeded. It remained in their possession until the Peace of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years War was signed. The new ruler, Charles Louis (Karl Ludwig) and his family did not move into the ruined castle until 7 October 1649.
Victor Hugo summarized these and the following events:
In 1619, Frederick V, then a young man, took the crown of the kings of Bohemia, against the will of the emperor, and in 1687, Philip William, Count Palatine, by then an old man, assumes the title of prince-elector, against the will of the king of France. This was to cause Heidelberg battles and never-ending tribuluations, the Thirty Years War, Gustav Adolfs Ruhmesblatt and finally the War of the Grand Alliance, the Turennes mission. All of these terrible events have blighted the castle. Three emperors, Louis the Bavarian, Adolf of Nassau, and Leopold of Austria, have laid siege to it; Pio II condemned it; Louis XIV wreaked havoc on it.
— quoted from Victor Hugo: "Heidelberg"
Nine Years' War
After the death of Charles II, Elector Palatine, the last in line of the House of Palatinate-Simmern, Louis XIV of France demanded the surrender of the allodial title in favor of the Duchess of Orléans, Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine who he claimed was the rightful heir to the Simmern lands. On 29 September 1688, the French troops marched into the Palatinate of the Rhine and on 24 October moved into Heidelberg, which had been deserted by Philipp Wilhelm, the new Elector Palatine from the line of Palatinate-Neuburg. At war against the allied European powers, France's war council decided to destroy all fortifications and to lay waste to the Palatinate (Brûlez le Palatinat!), in order to prevent an enemy attack from this area. As the French withdrew from the castle on 2 March 1689, they set fire to it and blew the front off the Fat Tower. Portions of the town were also burned, but the mercy of a French general, René de Froulay de Tessé, who told the townspeople to set small fires in their homes to create smoke and the illusion of widespread burning, prevented wider destruction.
Immediately upon his accession in 1690, Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine had the walls and towers rebuilt. When the French again reached the gates of Heidelberg in 1691 and 1692, the town's defenses were so good that they did not gain entry. On 18 May 1693 the French were yet again at the town's gates and took it on 22 May. However, they did not attain control of the castle and destroyed the town in attempt to weaken the castle's main support base. The castle's occupants capitulated the next day. Now the French took the opportunity to finish off the work started in 1689, after their hurried exit from the town. The towers and walls that had survived the last wave of destruction, were blown up with mines.
Removal of the court to Mannheim
In 1697 the Treaty of Ryswick was signed, marking the end of the War of the Grand Alliance and finally bringing peace to the town. Plans were made to pull down the castle and to reuse parts of it for a new palace in the valley. When difficulties with this plan became apparent, the castle was patched up. At the same time, Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine played with the idea of completely redesigning the castle, but shelved the project due to lack of funds. He did, however, install his favorite court jester, Perkeo of Heidelberg to famously watch over the castle's wine stock. Perkeo later became the unofficial mascot of the city. In 1720, he came into conflict with the town's Protestants as a result of fully handing over the Church of the Holy Spirit to the Catholics (it had previously been split by a partition and used by both congregations), the Catholic prince-elector moved his court to Mannheim and lost all interest in the castle. When on 12 April 1720, Charles announced the removal of the court and all its administrative bodies to Mannheim, he wished that "Grass may grow on her streets".
The religious conflict was probably only one reason for the move to Mannheim. In addition, converting the old-fashioned hill-top castle into a Baroque palace would have been difficult and costly. By moving down into the plain, the prince-elector was able to construct a new palace, Mannheim Palace, that met his every wish.
Karl Phillip's successor Karl Theodor planned to move his court back to Heidelberg Castle. However, on 24 June 1764, lightning struck the Saalbau (court building) twice in a row, again setting the castle on fire, which he regarded as a sign from heaven and changed his plans. Victor Hugo, who had come to love the ruins of the castle, also saw it as a divine signal:
One could even say that the very heavens had intervened. On 23 June 1764, the day before Karl Theodor was to move into the castle and make it his seat (which, by the bye, would have been a great disaster, for if Karl Theodor had spent his thirty years there, these austere ruins which we today so admire would certainly have been decorated in the pompadour style); on this day, then, with the prince's furnishings already arrived and waiting in the Church of the Holy Spirit, fire from heaven hit the octagonal tower, set light to the roof, and destroyed this five-hundred-year-old castle in very few hours.
— Victor Hugo, Heidelberg
In the following decades, basic repairs were made, but Heidelberg Castle remained essentially a ruin.
Since destruction
Slow decay and Romantic enthusiasm
In 1777, Karl Theodor became ruler of Bavaria in addition to the Palatinate and removed his court from Mannheim to Munich. Heidelberg Castle receded even further from his thoughts and the rooms which had still had roofs were taken over by craftsmen. Even as early as 1767, the south wall was quarried for stone to build Schwetzingen Castle. In 1784, the vaults in the Ottoheinrich wing were filled in, and the castle used as a source of building materials.
As a result of the German mediatisation of 1803, Heidelberg and Mannheim became part of Baden. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden welcomed the addition to his territory, although he regarded Heidelberg Castle as an unwanted addition. The structure was decaying and the townsfolk were helping themselves to stone, wood, and iron from the castle to build their own houses. The statuary and ornaments were also fair game. August von Kotzebue expressed his indignation in 1803 at the government of Baden's intention to pull down the ruins. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ruined castle had become a symbol for the patriotic movement against Napoleon.
Even before 1800, artists had come to see the river, the hills and the ruins of the castle as an ideal ensemble. The best depictions are those of England's J. M. W. Turner, who stayed in Heidelberg several times between 1817 and 1844, and painted Heidelberg and the castle many times. He and his fellow Romantic painters were not interested in faithful portrayals of the building and gave artistic licence free rein. For example, Turner's paintings of the castle show it perched far higher up on the hill than it actually is.
The saviour of the castle was the French count Charles de Graimberg. He fought the government of Baden, which viewed the castle as an "old ruin with a multitude of tasteless, crumbling ornaments", for the preservation of the building. Until 1822, he served as a voluntary castle warden, and lived for a while in the Glass Wing (Gläserner Saalbau), where he could keep an eye on the courtyard. Long before the origin of historic preservation in Germany, he was the first person to take an interest in the conservation and documentation of the castle, which may never have occurred to any of the Romantics. Graimberg asked Thomas A. Leger to prepare the first castle guide. With his pictures of the castle, of which many copies were produced, Graimberg promoted the castle ruins and drew many tourists to the town.
Planning and restoration
The question of whether the castle should be completely restored was discussed for a long time. In 1868, the poet Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter argued for a complete reconstruction, leading to a strong backlash in public meetings and in the press.
In 1883, the Grand Duchy of Baden established a "Castle field office", supervised by building director Josef Durm in Karlsruhe, district building supervisor Julius Koch and architect Fritz Seitz. The office made a detailed plan for preserving or repairing the main building. They completed their work in 1890, which led a commission of specialists from across Germany to decide that while a complete or partial rebuilding of the castle was not possible, it was possible to preserve it in its current condition. Only the Friedrich Building, whose interiors were fire damaged, but not ruined, would be restored. This reconstruction was done from 1897 to 1900 by Karl Schäfer at the enormous cost of 520,000 Marks.
Castle ruins and tourism
The oldest description of Heidelberg from 1465 mentions that the city is "frequented by strangers", but it did not really become a tourist attraction until the beginning of the 19th century. Count Graimberg made the castle a pervasive subject for pictures which became forerunners of the postcard. At the same time, the castle was also found on souvenir cups. Tourism received a big boost when Heidelberg was connected to the railway network in 1840.
Mark Twain, the American author, described the Heidelberg Castle in his 1880 travel book A Tramp Abroad:
A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective. This one could not have been better placed. It stands upon a commanding elevation, it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground about it, but, on the contrary, there are wooded terraces upon terraces, and one looks down through shining leaves into profound chasms and abysses where twilight reigns and the sun cannot intrude. Nature knows how to garnish a ruin to get the best effect. One of these old towers is split down the middle, and one half has tumbled aside. It tumbled in such a way as to establish itself in a picturesque attitude. Then all it lacked was a fitting drapery, and Nature has furnished that; she has robed the rugged mass in flowers and verdure, and made it a charm to the eye. The standing half exposes its arched and cavernous rooms to you, like open, toothless mouths; there, too, the vines and flowers have done their work of grace. The rear portion of the tower has not been neglected, either, but is clothed with a clinging garment of polished ivy which hides the wounds and stains of time. Even the top is not left bare, but is crowned with a flourishing group of trees & shrubs. Misfortune has done for this old tower what it has done for the human character sometimes – improved it.
— Mark Twain
In the 20th century, Americans spread Heidelberg's reputation outside Europe. Thus, Japanese also often visit the Heidelberg Castle during their trips to Europe. Heidelberg has, at the beginning of the 21st century, more than three million visitors a year and about 1,000,000 overnight stays. Most of the foreign visitors come either from the USA or Japan. The most important attraction, according to surveys by the Geographical Institute of the University of Heidelberg, is the castle with its observation terraces.
Chronology
Timeline of events for Heidelberg Castle:
1225: first documented mention as "Castrum".
1303: mention of two castles.
1537: destruction of the upper castle by lightning bolt.
1610: creation of the palace garden ("Hortus Palatinus").
1622: Tilly conquers city and castle in the Thirty Years War.
1642: renewal of the Castle plants.
1688/1689: destruction by French troops.
1693: renewed destruction in the Palatinate succession war.
1697: (start) reconstruction.
1720: transfer of the residence to Mannheim.
1742: (start) reconstruction.
1764: destruction by lightning bolt.
1810: Charles de Graimberg dedicates himself to the preservation of the Castle ruins.
1860: first Castle lighting.
1883: establishment of the "office of building of castles of Baden."
1890: stocktaking by Julius Koch and Fritz Seitz.
1900: (circa) restorations and historical development.
(Wikipedi)
Das Heidelberger Schloss ist eine der berühmtesten Ruinen Deutschlands und das Wahrzeichen der Stadt Heidelberg. Bis zu seiner Zerstörung im Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg war es die Residenz der Kurfürsten von der Pfalz. Seit den Zerstörungen durch die Soldaten Ludwigs XIV. 1689 und der Sprengung durch französische Pioniere am 6. September 1693 wurde das Heidelberger Schloss nur teilweise restauriert. Nachdem am 24. Juni 1764 Blitze die teilweise renovierte Anlage in Brand gesetzt hatten, wurde die Wiederherstellung aufgegeben. Die Schlossruine aus rotem Neckartäler Sandstein erhebt sich 80 Meter über dem Talgrund am Nordhang des Königstuhls und dominiert von dort das Bild der Altstadt. Der Ottheinrichsbau, einer der Palastbauten des Schlosses, zählt zu den bedeutendsten Bauwerken des deutschen Manierismus. In der kulturgeschichtlichen Epoche der Romantik wurde die Schlossruine zu einem Inbegriff einer vergangenen und bewundernswerten Epoche stilisiert. Es zählt heute zu den meistbesuchten touristischen Sehenswürdigkeiten Europas.
Geschichte
Bis zu den Zerstörungen
Erste Erwähnungen
Um das Jahr 1182 verlegte Konrad der Staufer, Halbbruder von Kaiser Friedrich I. Barbarossa und seit 1156 Pfalzgraf bei Rhein, seine Hofhaltung von der Burg Stahleck bei Bacharach am Mittelrhein auf die Burg Heidelberg, seinem Sitz als Vogt des Klosters Schönau im Odenwald.
Die Stadt Heidelberg wird im Jahr 1196 zum ersten Mal in einer Urkunde genannt. Eine Burg in Heidelberg („castrum in Heidelberg cum burgo ipsius castri“) wird im Jahr 1225 erwähnt, als Ludwig der Kelheimer diese Burg vom Bischof Heinrich von Worms als Lehen erhielt. 1214 waren die Herzöge von Bayern aus dem Haus Wittelsbach mit der Pfalzgrafschaft belehnt worden.
Von einer Burg ist zuletzt im Jahr 1294 die Rede. In einer Urkunde des Jahres 1303 werden zum ersten Mal zwei Burgen aufgeführt: die obere Burg auf dem Kleinen Gaisberg bei der jetzigen Molkenkur und die untere Burg auf dem Jettenbühl. Lange Zeit hatte sich deshalb in der Forschung die Auffassung durchgesetzt, dass die Gründung der unteren Burg zwischen 1294 und 1303 entstanden sein müsse, zumal die vom Schlossbaubüro in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts akribisch durchgeführte Bauaufnahme zum Schluss gelangte, dass die Bausubstanz keine Datierung des Schlosses vor das 15. Jahrhundert gerechtfertigt habe. Aufgrund von Architekturfunden und neueren bauarchäologischen Untersuchungen wird in der jüngeren Forschung zum Heidelberger Schloss die Entstehung der unteren Burg dagegen mittlerweile auf die erste Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts datiert. Bereits 1897 wurde ein vermauertes spätromanisches Fenster in der Trennwand zwischen Gläsernem Saalbau und Friedrichsbau entdeckt. 1976 förderten Ausschachtungsarbeiten an der Nordostecke des Ruprechtbaues in einer um 1400 abgelagerten Schutt- und Abbruchschicht ein Fensterfragment in Form eines Kleeblattbogens zutage, wie es sich in ähnlicher Form in den Arkadenfenstern der Burg Wildenberg findet. Eine im Jahr 1999 im Bereich des Ludwigsbaus durchgeführte archäologische Untersuchung verdichtete die Hinweise auf eine Bebauung des Schlossareals in der ersten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts.
Die ältesten Werke, die das Heidelberger Schloss erwähnen, sind:
der Thesaurus Picturarum des pfälzischen Kirchenrats Markus zum Lamb (1559 bis 1606)
die Annales Academici Heidelbergenses des Heidelberger Bibliothekars und Professors Pithopoeus (1587 begonnen)
der Originum Palatinarum Commentarius von Marquard Freher (1599)
das Teutsche Reyssebuch von Martin Zeiller (Straßburg 1632, als Itinerarium Germaniae 1674 wieder abgedruckt)
Alle diese Werke sind meist oberflächlich und enthalten nichts Ernsthaftes. Anders verhält es sich mit Matthäus Merian Topographia Palatinatus Rheni aus dem Jahr 1615, in der Kurfürst Ludwig V. als derjenige genannt wird, der „vor hundert und etlichen Jahren hat ein neu Schloß angefangen zu bauen“. Auf Merians Angaben stützen sich die meisten Beschreibungen des Schlosses bis ins 18. Jahrhundert hinein. Das Bestreben, die Gründungszeit des Schlosses weiter rückwärts zu verlegen, führt später zu Hinweisen, dass bereits unter Ruprecht I. die berühmte Hofkapelle auf dem Jettenbühl errichtet worden sei.
Königsschloss und Papstgefängnis
Als Ruprecht III. im Jahr 1401 Deutscher König (Ruprecht I.) wurde, herrschte im Schloss so großer Raummangel, dass er bei seiner Rückkehr von der Königskrönung sein Hoflager im Augustinerkloster (heute: Universitätsplatz) aufschlagen musste. Jetzt galt es, Raum zur Repräsentation und zur Unterbringung des Beamten- und Hofstaates zu schaffen. Gleichzeitig musste die Burg zu einer Festung ausgebaut werden. Etwa aus der Zeit Ruprechts III. stammen die ältesten heute sichtbaren Teile des Schlosses.
Nach Ruprechts Tod im Jahr 1410 wurde der Herrschaftsbereich unter seinen vier Söhnen aufgeteilt. Die pfälzischen Stammlande gingen an den ältesten Sohn Ludwig III. Nach dem Konzil von Konstanz brachte dieser als Stellvertreter des Kaisers und oberster Richter im Jahr 1415 im Auftrag König Sigismunds den abgesetzten Papst Johannes XXIII. auf dem Schloss in Gewahrsam, bevor er auf Burg Eichelsheim (heute Mannheim-Lindenhof) gebracht wurde.
Der französische Dichter Victor Hugo besuchte 1838 Heidelberg und spazierte dabei besonders gerne in den Ruinen des Schlosses herum, dessen Geschichte er in einem Brief zusammenfasst:
„Lassen Sie mich nur von seinem Schloß sprechen. (Das ist absolut unerläßlich, und eigentlich hätte ich damit beginnen sollen). Was hat es nicht alles durchgemacht! Fünfhundert Jahre lang hat es die Rückwirkungen von allem hinnehmen müssen, was Europa erschüttert hat, und am Ende ist es darunter zusammengebrochen. Das liegt daran, daß dieses Heidelberger Schloß, die Residenz des Pfalzgrafen, der über sich nur Könige, Kaiser und Päpste hatte und zu bedeutend war, um sich unter deren Füßen zu krümmen, aber nicht den Kopf heben konnte, ohne mit ihnen aneinanderzugeraten, das liegt daran, meine ich, daß das Heidelberger Schloß immer irgendeine Oppositionshaltung gegenüber den Mächtigen eingenommen hat. Schon um 1300, der Zeit seiner Gründung, beginnt es mit einer Thebais; in dem Grafen Rudolf und dem Kaiser Ludwig, diesen beiden entarteten Brüdern, hat es seinen Eteokles und seinen Polyneikes. Darin nimmt der Kurfürst an Macht zu. Im Jahre 1400 setzt der Pfälzer Ruprecht II., unterstützt von drei rheinischen Kurfürsten, Kaiser Wenzeslaus ab und nimmt dessen Stelle ein; hundertzwanzig Jahre später, 1519, sollte Pfalzgraf Friedrich II. den jungen König Karl I. von Spanien zu Kaiser Karl V. machen.“
– Victor Hugo: Heidelberg
Badisch-Pfälzischer Krieg
Im Badisch-Pfälzischen Krieg 1462 setzte Kurfürst Friedrich I. von der Pfalz (der „Pfälzer Fritz“) den Markgrafen Karl I. von Baden, den Bischof Georg von Metz und den Grafen Ulrich V. von Württemberg auf dem Schloss fest. Friedrich ließ die Gefangenen bei harter Kost in Ketten legen, bis sie bereit waren, die geforderten Lösegeldzahlungen zu leisten. Markgraf Karl I. musste zur Freilassung 25.000 Gulden zahlen, seinen Anteil an der Grafschaft Sponheim als Pfand abgeben und Pforzheim zum pfälzischen Lehen erklären. Der Metzer Bischof musste 45.000 Gulden zahlen. Das Wichtigste war aber, dass Friedrich I. von der Pfalz seinen Anspruch als Kurfürst gesichert hatte. Die Sage berichtet, Friedrich habe seinen unfreiwilligen Gästen das Fehlen von Brot bei der Mahlzeit dadurch begreiflich gemacht, dass er sie durch das Fenster auf das verwüstete Land hinab blicken ließ. Dies wird in einem Gedicht von Gustav Schwab mit dem Titel „Das Mahl zu Heidelberg“ nacherzählt.
Reformation und Dreißigjähriger Krieg
Während der Regierung Ludwigs V. besichtigte Martin Luther, der zu einer Verteidigung seiner Thesen (Heidelberger Disputation) nach Heidelberg gekommen war, das Schloss. Er wurde dabei von Pfalzgraf Wolfgang, dem Bruder Ludwigs V., herumgeführt und lobte später in einem Brief an seinen Freund Georg Spalatin vom 18. Mai 1518 die Schönheit und kriegerische Ausrüstung des Schlosses.
Im Dreißigjährigen Krieg flogen zum ersten Mal Kugeln gegen das Heidelberger Schloss. Hiermit endet auch die eigentliche Geschichte des Schlossbaus. Die folgenden Jahrhunderte bringen hauptsächlich Zerstörungen und Wiederherstellungen.
Friedrich V. von der Pfalz nahm – trotz vieler Bedenken – die Königswürde von Böhmen an und löste damit eine Katastrophe aus. Nach der Schlacht am Weißen Berg war er als Geächteter auf der Flucht und hatte voreilig seine Truppen entlassen, so dass General Tilly, der Oberbefehlshaber der katholischen Liga-Truppen im Dienst des Kurfürsten von Bayern, eine unverteidigte Pfalz vor sich hatte. Am 26. August 1622 eröffnete er die Beschießung Heidelbergs und nahm am 16. September die Stadt und wenige Tage darauf das Schloss ein. Nachdem die Schweden am 5. Mai 1633 die Stadt Heidelberg eingenommen und vom Königstuhl aus das Feuer auf das Schloss eröffnet hatten, übergab der kaiserliche Kommandant am 26. Mai 1633 die Festung an die Schweden. Nach der schweren Niederlage der Schweden in der Schlacht bei Nördlingen im September 1634 besetzten Truppen des Kaisers erneut die Stadt. In der Absicht, das Schloss zu sprengen, wurden innerhalb von 14 Tagen 24 Tonnen Pulver in Stollen unter den Mauern des Schlosses deponiert. Das überraschende Erscheinen einer französischen Armee mit 30.000 Mann verhinderte die geplante Sprengung. Erst im Juli 1635 kam die Stadt erneut in die Gewalt der kaiserlichen Truppen, in der es dann bis zum Friedensschluss blieb. Erst am 7. Oktober 1649 zog der neue Herrscher wieder in das zerstörte Stammschloss seiner Familie ein.
Im Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg
Der französische König Ludwig XIV. verlangte nach dem Tode des kinderlosen Kurfürsten Karl II., des letzten Fürsten der Linie Pfalz-Simmern, im Namen der Herzogin von Orléans die Herausgabe des pfälzischen Allodialgutes. Am 29. September 1688 rückten die französischen Heere im Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg in die Pfalz und zogen am 24. Oktober in das von Philipp Wilhelm, dem neuen Kurfürsten aus der Linie Pfalz-Neuburg, verlassene Heidelberg ein.
Gegen die verbündeten europäischen Mächte beschloss der französische Kriegsrat, durch Zerstörung aller Festungswerke und durch Verwüstung des pfälzischen Landes dem Feinde die Möglichkeit des Angriffes von dieser Gegend her zu entziehen. Beim Ausrücken aus der Stadt am 2. März 1689 steckten die Franzosen das Schloss und auch die Stadt an vielen Ecken zugleich in Brand.
Johann Wilhelm ließ sofort nach seinem Einzug in die verwüstete Stadt die Mauern und Türme wiederherstellen. Als die Franzosen 1691 und 1692 erneut bis vor die Tore Heidelbergs gelangten, fanden sie die Stadt in einem so guten Verteidigungszustand vor, dass sie unverrichteter Dinge abziehen mussten. Am 18. Mai 1693 standen die Franzosen allerdings wieder vor der Stadt und nahmen sie am 22. Mai ein. Sie versuchten vermutlich, mit der Zerstörung der Stadt die Hauptoperationsbasis gegen das Schloss zu schaffen. Am folgenden Tage kapitulierte die Schlossbesatzung, und nun holten die Franzosen nach, was sie 1689 in der Eile ihres Abzugs nur unvollständig ausgeführt hatten: Sie sprengten nun durch Minen die Türme und Mauern, die beim letzten Mal der Zerstörung entgangen waren. Das Heidelberger Schloss wurde eine Ruine.
Verlegung der Residenz nach Mannheim
Der Frieden von Rijswijk, mit dem der Pfälzische Erbfolgekrieg beendet wurde, brachte im Jahr 1697 endlich etwas Ruhe. Es war geplant, das Schloss abzureißen und die brauchbaren Teile zur Errichtung eines neuen Palastes im Tal zu verwenden. Als sich aber der Durchführung dieses Planes Schwierigkeiten entgegenstellten, wurde das Schloss notdürftig wiederhergestellt. Gleichzeitig trug sich Karl Philipp mit dem Gedanken eines vollständigen Umbaues des Schlosses, aber der Mangel an finanziellen Mitteln schob dieses Projekt auf, und als der Kurfürst 1720 mit den Protestanten der Stadt wegen Überlassung der Heiliggeistkirche an die Katholiken in Streit geriet, der die Verlegung der Residenz nach Mannheim zur Folge hatte, endete das Interesse des Kurfürsten am Heidelberger Schloss. Seine Absicht war es, die Heiliggeistkirche zur katholischen Hofkirche umzuwidmen, was die Heidelberger Reformierten mit allen Mitteln zu verhindern suchten. Als er am 12. April 1720 die Verlegung seiner Residenz mit allen Behörden nach Mannheim verkündete, überließ der Kurfürst die alte Hauptstadt ihrem Schicksal und wünschte ihr, dass „Gras auf ihren Straßen wachsen“ solle. Der religiöse Konflikt war vermutlich aber nur der letzte Anstoß gewesen, das alte, schwer zu einer barocken Anlage umzubauende Bergschloss aufzugeben und in die Ebene zu ziehen, wo er eine ganz seinem Willen entspringende Neugründung vornehmen konnte.
Sein Nachfolger Karl Theodor plante vorübergehend, seinen Wohnsitz wieder ins Heidelberger Schloss zu verlegen. Er nahm davon allerdings wieder Abstand, als am 24. Juni 1764 der Blitz zweimal hintereinander in den Saalbau einschlug und das Schloss abermals brannte. Victor Hugo hielt dies später für einen Wink des Himmels:
„Man könnte sogar sagen, daß der Himmel sich eingemischt hat. Am 23. Juni 1764, einen Tag, bevor Karl-Theodor in das Schloß einziehen und es zu seiner Residenz machen sollte (was, nebenbei gesagt, ein großes Unglück gewesen wäre; denn wenn Karl-Theodor seine dreißig Jahre dort verbracht hätte, wäre die strenge Ruine, die wir heute bewundern, sicher mit einer schrecklichen Pompadour-Verzierung versehen worden), an diesem Vortag also, als die Möbel des Fürsten bereits vor der Tür, in der Heiliggeistkirche, standen, traf das Feuer des Himmels den achteckigen Turm, setzte das Dach in Brand und zerstörte in wenigen Stunden dieses fünfhundert Jahre alte Schloß.“
– Victor Hugo: Heidelberg.
In den folgenden Jahrzehnten wurden zwar noch notwendige Erneuerungen vorgenommen, aber das Heidelberger Schloss blieb von nun an hauptsächlich eine Ruine.
Seit den Zerstörungen
Langsamer Zerfall und romantische Begeisterung
Im Jahr 1777 verlegte Kurfürst Karl Theodor seine Residenz von Mannheim nach München. Damit verlor er das Heidelberger Schloss noch mehr aus den Augen. Die überdachten Räume wurden nun von Handwerksbetrieben genutzt. Schon 1767 hatte man begonnen, die Quader des Südwalles als Baumaterial für das Schwetzinger Schloss zu verwenden. Im Jahr 1784 wurden gar die Gewölbe im Erdgeschoss des Ottheinrichsbaus eingelegt und das Schloss als Steinbruch verwendet.
Durch den Reichsdeputationshauptschluss von 1803 gingen Heidelberg und Mannheim an Baden über. Der große Gebietszuwachs war Großherzog Karl Friedrich willkommen, das Heidelberger Schloss betrachtete er jedoch als unerwünschte Zugabe. Die Bauten verfielen, Heidelberger Bürger holten aus dem Schloss Steine, Holz und Eisen zum Bau ihrer Häuser. Auch Figuren und Verzierungen wurden abgeschlagen. August von Kotzebue äußerte sich 1803 voller Empörung über die Absicht der badischen Regierung, die Ruinen abtragen zu lassen. Das zerstörte Schloss wurde am Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts zum Sinnbild für die patriotische Gesinnung, die sich gegen die napoleonische Unterdrückung richtete.
Schon vor 1800 erkannten Maler und Zeichner in der Schlossruine und der bergigen Flusslandschaft ein idealtypisches Ensemble. Den Höhepunkt bilden die Gemälde des Engländers William Turner, der sich zwischen 1817 und 1844 mehrfach in Heidelberg aufhielt und etliche Gemälde von Heidelberg und dem Schloss anfertigte. Ihm und anderen Künstlern der Romantik ging es dabei nicht um eine detailgetreue Bauaufnahme. Sie pflegten eher einen recht freien Umgang mit der Wirklichkeit. So ist bei seinem Gemälde des Schlosses das Gelände mehrfach überhöht dargestellt.
Der Begriff Romantik wurde von dem Philosophen Friedrich Schlegel Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts zu einer Universalpoesie erklärt – ein literaturtheoretischer Begriff aus der Frühromantik. In ihr würden alle Künste und Gattungen zu einer Form verschmelzen. Jedoch wandelte sich dies im allgemeinen Verständnis zu einem verklärenden sentimentalen Gefühl der Sehnsucht. Diese Empfindung fand insbesondere in der sogenannten Heidelberger Romantik ihren Ausdruck. So zum Beispiel in Liedersammlungen der Autoren Achim von Arnim und Clemens Brentano, die sich oft in Heidelberg aufhielten. Landschaftsmaler machten die Schlossreste zum zentralen Motiv ihrer Gemälde, in denen häufig das Anmutige der umgebenden Landschaft in Kontrast gestellt wurde zum Feierlich-Düsteren der Ruine. Clemens Brentano dichtete:
„Und da ich um die Ecke bog, – ein kühles Lüftlein mir entgegen zog – Der Neckar rauscht aus grünen Hallen – Und giebt am Fels ein freudig Schallen, – Die Stadt streckt sich den Fluss hinunter, – Mit viel Geräusch und lärmt ganz munter, – Und drüber an grüner Berge Brust, – Ruht groß das Schloss und sieht die Lust.“
– Clemens Brentano: Lied von eines Studenten Ankunft in Heidelberg und seinem Traum auf der Brücke, worin ein schöner Dialogus zwischen Frau Pallas und Karl Theodor.
Die auf Poetik beruhenden Konzepte der Romantik wurden in brieflichen Diskussionen zwischen Achim und Jacob Grimm über das Verhältnis von Natur- und Kunstpoesie entwickelt. Abkehrend von den Elementen der Reflexion, Kritik und Rhetorik in der Kunstpoesie, beschäftigt sich die „Heidelberger Romantik“ mit der Naturpoesie. Im Laufe des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde Heidelberg mit seinem Schloss und der heimischen Natur auch bei Reisenden und Wanderern zunehmend bekannt und beliebt. Stadt und Schloss wurden zum Inbegriff romantischer Stimmung.
Der Retter des Schlosses war der französische Graf Charles de Graimberg. Er kämpfte gegen Pläne der badischen Regierung, für die das Heidelberger Schloss das „alte Gemäuer mit seinen vielfältigen, geschmacklosen, ruinösen Verzierungen“ war, für die Erhaltung der Schlossruinen. Er versah bis 1822 das Amt eines freiwilligen Schlosswächters und wohnte eine Zeit lang im Vorbau des Gläsernen Saalbaues, von dem aus er den Schlosshof am besten übersehen konnte. Lange bevor es in Deutschland eine Denkmalpflege gab, war er der erste, der sich um den Erhalt und die Dokumentation des Schlosses kümmerte, als bei der romantischen Schwärmerei noch niemand daran dachte, den Verfall zu unterbinden. In Auftrag Graimbergs verfasste Thomas A. Leger den ersten Schlossführer. Mit seinen in hoher Auflage produzierten druckgraphischen Ansichten verhalf Graimberg der Schlossruine zu einem Bekanntheitsgrad, der den Tourismus nach Heidelberg lenkte.
Bestandsaufnahme und Restaurierung – der Heidelberger Schlossstreit
Die Frage, ob das Schloss vollständig wiederhergestellt werden solle, führte zu langen Diskussionen. Der Dichter Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter machte sich im Jahr 1868 für eine vollständige Erneuerung stark und rief damit heftige Reaktionen hervor, die in der Presse und in Versammlungen ausgetragen wurden. Aus dem Streit um den richtigen Umgang mit der Schlossruine entwickelte sich eine Grundsatzdiskussion über die Aufgaben der Denkmalpflege. Die Ergebnisse dieser Debatte, die als der „Heidelberger Schlossstreit“ in die Geschichte eingegangen sind, prägten die Prinzipien der Bewahrung historischer Bauwerke nachhaltig.
Die Großherzogliche badische Regierung errichtete im Jahr 1883 ein Schloßbaubüro, das unter Oberaufsicht des Baudirektors Josef Durm in Karlsruhe vom Bezirksbauinspektor Julius Koch und dem Architekten Fritz Seitz geleitet wurde. Aufgabe des Büros war es, eine möglichst genaue Bestandsaufnahme zu machen und zugleich Maßnahmen zur Erhaltung oder Instandsetzung der Hauptgebäude vorzuschlagen. Die Arbeiten dieses Büros endeten 1890 und bildeten die Grundlage für eine Kommission von Fachleuten aus ganz Deutschland. Die Kommission kam zu der einhelligen Überzeugung, dass eine völlige oder teilweise Wiederherstellung des Schlosses nicht in Betracht komme, dagegen eine Erhaltung des jetzigen Zustandes mit allen Mitteln zu erstreben sei. Nur der Friedrichsbau, dessen Innenräume zwar durch Feuer zerstört worden waren, der aber nie Ruine war, sollte wiederhergestellt werden. Diese Wiederherstellung geschah schließlich in der Zeit von 1897 bis 1900 durch Carl Schäfer mit dem enormen Kostenaufwand von 520.000 Mark. Im Jahr 2019 entspricht der Aufwand Inflationsbereinigt 3.700.000 €.
Schlossruine und Tourismus
Schon die älteste Beschreibung Heidelbergs aus dem Jahr 1465 erwähnt, dass die Stadt „vielbesucht von Fremden“ sei. Doch ein eigentlicher Städtetourismus setzte frühestens zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts ein. Graf Graimberg sorgte mit seinen Zeichnungen dafür, dass das Schloss als Bildmotiv eine große Verbreitung fand. Sie wurden praktisch zu Vorläufern der Postkarte. Zur gleichen Zeit gab es auch schon das Schloss als Souvenir auf Tassen. Den entscheidenden Schub erhielt der Tourismus aber erst mit dem Anschluss Heidelbergs ans Eisenbahnnetz im Jahr 1840.
Mark Twain beschrieb 1878 in seinem Buch Bummel durch Europa (A Tramp Abroad) das Heidelberger Schloss folgendermaßen:
„Um gut zu wirken, muss eine Ruine den richtigen Standort haben. Diese hier hätte nicht günstiger gelegen sein können. Sie steht auf einer die Umgebung beherrschenden Höhe, sie ist in grünen Wäldern verborgen, um sie herum gibt es keinen ebenen Grund, sondern im Gegenteil bewaldete Terrassen, man blickt durch glänzende Blätter in tiefe Klüfte und Abgründe hinab, wo Dämmer herrscht und die Sonne nicht eindringen kann. Die Natur versteht es, eine Ruine zu schmücken, um die beste Wirkung zu erzielen.“
– Mark Twain: Bummel durch Europa.
Bei einem am 18. Mai 1978 verübten Brandanschlag, der den Revolutionären Zellen zugerechnet wird, entstand ein Sachschaden von 97.000 DM am Schloss.
Im 20. Jahrhundert verfielen die US-Amerikaner noch mehr dem Heidelberg-Mythos und trugen ihn hinaus in die Welt. So kommt es, dass auch viele andere Nationalitäten das Heidelberger Schloss auf ihren Kurzreisen durch Europa zu den wenigen Zwischenstopps zählen.
Heidelberg hat zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts jährlich mehr als eine Million Besucher und etwa 900.000 Übernachtungen. Wichtigster Anlaufpunkt ist laut einer Befragung des geografischen Instituts der Universität Heidelberg das Schloss mit seinen Aussichtsterrassen.
Das Heidelberger Schloss zählt heute zu den landeseigenen Monumenten und wird von der Einrichtung „Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg“ betreut. Aus dem Landesinfrastrukturprogramm Baden-Württemberg wurden für den Neubau eines von Max Dudler entworfenen Besucherzentrums 3 Millionen Euro zur Verfügung gestellt. Es wurde 2012 eröffnet.
Zudem ist das Schloss nach Angaben der Schlösserverwaltung das größte Fledermaus-Winterquartier in Nordbaden. Wegen der dort überwinternden Zwergfledermaus sowie dem Großen Mausohr wurde im Jahr 2016 der im Stückgarten vor dem Schloss stattfindende Teil des Weihnachtsmarktes auf den Friedrich-Ebert-Platz verlegt.
(Wikipdia)