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Founded: 11th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Salian Dynasty (Germany)
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Scharzfels Castle, a medieval ruin near Scharzfeld in central Germany, sits atop a 20-meter dolomite rock above the Oder valley. Built in the 10th or 11th century, it remained impregnable for centuries. The inner ward, still partially intact, was carved into the rock, while the outer ward is now a terrace with a restaurant. A stairway leads to the upper ward.
First mentioned in 1131, it became an imperial fortress under Emperor Lothair. Over the centuries, it changed hands among noble families, including the counts of Scharzfeld, Hohnstein, and later the House of Welf.
Heavily fortified in 1627, the castle also served as a state prison. From 1695 to 1697, Eleonore of the Knesebeck was imprisoned there for aiding Princess Sophia of Ahlden. She famously escaped by being lowered down the cliff.
In 1761, during the Seven Years' War, the French captured the fortress after a ten-day siege and blew it up. Since then, it has remained in ruins.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.