Photo: museums and exhibitions, castles, fortresses and palaces, Meersburg Castle, Baden-Wuerttemberg

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Meersburg Castle: Strong Castle with an Ancient History

Museums and Exhibitions • Castles, Fortresses and Palaces

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Meersburg Castle is one of the oldest in Germany. Itis believed that Frankish king Dagobert started its construction in the firsthalf of the VII century, although no traces of such an ancient period were foundin the castle. The earliest written mention of the castle dates to thebeginning of the XII century. Nevertheless, one of the towers of the castle isstill called Dagobert Tower. In the middle of the XIV century, the castle wasattacked by the imperial troops, and for the first time in Germany, the siegewas carried out with the use of cannons. But Meersburg resisted. Its seizurewas failed also during the Thirty Years' War.

In the first decades ofthe XIX century, Meersburg Castle housed the local administration, and then thedistrict court. In 1838, nobleman and bibliophile Joseph von Lassberg bought thecastle. He placed his extensive library in it. One of the exhibits was anancient manuscript reproducing the famous "Song of the Nibelungs". In 1841-1848 his cousin, poet Annette von Droste zuHülshoff, visited Lassberg. Now, the museum of the poetessoccupies part of the fortress. After the death of Lassberg, collector CarlMeyer von Mayerfels bought the castle, who built a museum in Meersburg. Today,it is possible to see models of weapons, furniture and art objects of theMiddle Ages and modern times in it. The King Dagobert Tower has an observationdeck.

Meersburg Castle: Strong Castle with an Ancient History

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