The first hill fort overlooking the valley of Wolfach was built by Count Rapoto I von Ortenburg around 1120. Due to the power of Ortenburg house there were many conflicts with neihgbor states in the late 12th century and early 13th century. The castle was destroyed in one of these wars in 1192 and subsequently rebuilt. The medieval castle was sacked and almost completely destroyed in Landshut War of Succession in 1504.
The current Ortenburg castle was built in its current form as a renaissance castle in 1562. The interior furnishing of the halls had been first completed in 1800. Therefore, the castle holds interior decoration and art dating back over the course of two centuries. The precious coffered ceiling of the castle chapel is particularly worth noting. The ceiling, which had been made with five different types of wood, is among the most significant renaissance wood ceilings in Germany. Further art treasures included the knights’ hall and the renaissance inner courtyard. Today, the castle is home to the Ortenburg Castle Museum.
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.