Plassenburg

Description

The Plassenburg overlooks the Upper Franconian town of Kulmbach and today serves as a historic museum site. The complex lies within the municipal district of Kulmbach and occupies a central role in regional history.

First mentioned in a document in 1135, the castle developed from a medieval fortification into a centre of rule. In the 14th century it passed, through pledges and inheritances, into the possession of the Burgraves of Nuremberg and thus became part of the zollerischen sphere of power in Franconia. In the ensuing period the complex established itself as the residence and administrative centre of the Fürstentum ob dem Gebirg, the later Markgraftum Brandenburg‑Kulmbach.

In the 16th century rebuilding and military expansion shaped the appearance of the Plassenburg. After members of the princely family experienced imprisonment, the castle was converted into a state fortress; gun rondels and massive bastions were constructed. After a protracted siege in 1554 and subsequent damage from demolition measures, reconstruction in the Renaissance style began in 1557. Residential buildings around the so-called Schönen Hof were completed by about 1575, and work on the fortifications continued until the early 17th century.

The palace chapel was built as a transept church in keeping with the Reformation’s spatial concept: the place of preaching was brought to the centre, and the church interior remained large and hall-like in its simplicity. The shell and the vaulting were completed in the second half of the 16th century; later alterations changed the original conception.

During the Thirty Years’ War and afterwards the Plassenburg repeatedly withstood sieges, but the upkeep of the fortress suffered from scant resources. In the 18th century Baroque alterations and barracks buildings were carried out. During the Napoleonic wars the castle was occupied in 1806 and the fortifications were slighted in the winter of 1806/07. Thereafter the complex alternately served as a military hospital, a penal labour institution and a penitentiary; in the 20th century parts were used as internment and detention facilities. During the National Socialist era the castle housed a Reichsschule der deutschen Technik.

After 1945 the Plassenburg provided accommodation for displaced persons and later became a workplace for visual artists; since then regular exhibitions have been held and a permanent display of contemporary works is in place.

Today the castle houses the Deutsche Zinnfigurenmuseum, the Staatlichen Museen Plassenburg with the Armeemuseum Friedrich der Große and the Museum Hohenzollern in Franken, as well as the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain. The Schöne Hof serves as an event space; the ensemble conveys regional history through its architecture and collections.