Burg Trausnitz

Description

Trausnitz Castle lies impressively above the old town of Landshut in the Gemarkung Berg ob Landshut and shapes the cityscape as a historic monument (file number D-2-61-000-563). Archaeological finds recorded beneath the site are also listed as an archaeological monument under D-2-7438-0330.

The spur castle stands on the Hofberg, the highest point of the Lower Bavarian Uplands at over 500 m above sea level. The complex rises above the town and the Isar and is surrounded by woodland; to the east lies the Hofgarten, formerly the palace park and open to the public since 1837. The Herzogsgarten, adjacent to the castle, was redesigned in the Neoclassical style in 1784.

Archaeological investigations indicate several earlier fortifications; ceramic finds may date back to the Urnfield period. Later sherds from the 9th/10th centuries point to an early medieval site. A wooden watch castle of the 12th century is regarded as a predecessor; the oldest parts visible today date to around 1204, when Duke Ludwig the Kelheimer initiated the construction of the castle and the settlement of Landshut. Under the Wittelsbachs, Trausnitz developed in the 13th century into a political and cultural centre; imperial guests and minnesingers were among its visitors. After the partition of 1255, Landshut became the residence of Lower Bavaria.

From the 15th to the 16th century the castle underwent significant phases of expansion: curtain walls, Dürnitz buildings and defensive towers were constructed, and parts of the complex were transformed into a representative Renaissance palace. In the late 16th century a comprehensive remodelling introduced elements of the Italian Renaissance; façades, arcades and a representative Weiße Saal came to define its appearance. It was also during this period that the richly painted stairwells with comic figures, known as the Narrentreppe, were created.

In later centuries the castle served alternately as a residence, barracks, prison and administrative centre; during the siege of 1634 the feature now known as the Schwedentor was formed. Major damage and fires, most recently in 1961, led to the loss of many wall paintings and fittings; preserved, among others, are the Georgskapelle and the Narrentreppe. The restored Fürstenbau housed the state archive until 2016. The Fürstentreppe connects the old town with the outer castle courtyard; in reconstructed form the Damenstock has displayed the Kunst- und Wunderkammer Burg Trausnitz as a branch museum of the Bavarian National Museum since 2004.