Castles and Palaces – Southwestern Germany from the Air
August 8, 2014
Southwestern Germany’s castles were an expression of regionalism and the competition between feudal rulers during the Middle Ages. But they also bear witness to the megalomania of electors, the ambition of industrialists and, more recently, the emergence of democracy.
Our flight of discovery begins on the roof of Bürresheim castle: specialist craftsmen are replacing its cladding with Mosel slate from a nearby mine. It then continues on to Marksburg Castle in Braubach in the Middle Rhine Valley - the only fortress to survive the wars of the Middle Ages intact. Here we look over Christian Bott’s shoulder as he gives a fencing lesson.
A detour then takes us to the Saar River, where Saareck Castle testifies to the industrialists’ determination not to be outdone by the nobility as far as comfort was concerned. But the democrats had altogether different motives as they hoisted the German flag for the first time above Hambach Castle on the edge of the Palatinate Forest. Further south, Schwetzingen Castle shows how the Elector Palatine competed with the splendor of Versailles. Ludwigsburg Palace is also maginificent.
Here Markus Katterle uses 1.5 tons of black powder for an impressive fireworks display. On the River Alb in Swabia, we find Rüdiger Widmann armed with brushes and tweezers in his fight to ensure the preservation of Lichtenstein Castle. It was built as a depository for the collections of the rulers of Württemberg. Before ending our journey at Mainau on Lake Constance, we pay a brief visit to Hohenzollern Castle, seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty from which the last German Emperor came.
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