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Altenstein

50 50 '07 "N 10 20' 57" E / 50.8353, 10.3492

View of the Castle in 1900 Altenstein

View of the castle today

The castle of Altenstein is a castle of Germany , located in Bad Liebenstein in the former duchy of Saxe-Meiningen in the current State of Thuringia. It was the summer residence of the family of Saxe-Meiningen.

History

House of Marshal of the Court

St. Boniface and preached Christianity to 716 and they built a chapel here in 724. Fifty years later a castle was built. Dudo von Stein is the lord in 1116. New castle (Neuenburg) is built on the cliff St. Boniface in 1150, whose domains belong to the abbey of Fulda and is given as fief to the Frankenstein family , hence the name of Alter Stein, the time. The villages of Gumpelstadt , Waldfisch , Schweina and Steinbach are united to him. The castle and its land belongs to the family then Salza, Langensalza, and is sold in 1346 to landgraves of Thuringia in which individual members strengthen the fortifications.

The castle fell under the ownership of the family von Hund Wenkheim in the late fifteenth century. Burghard II Wenkheim seized May 4, 1521 by Martin Luther who was a few miles and took him to the Wartburg. Castle Altenstein is taken and destroyed in 1554 by the armies of the Franconia and Brunswick who fought the Margrave of Ansbach. It is rebuilt from 1557. The last heir of Hund von Wenkheim, Eberhard (1647-1722), born there and, lord scrupulous prosperity of areas, reorganizing.

The Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen prevailing since 1680 in the region are purchasing them at the death of Eberhard Wenkheim. Anthony Ulrich of Saxe-Meiningen ordered the architect to rebuild Alessandro Rossini style baroque and son George I did draw an English park and build a summer residence. We dig all artificial lake and the landscape is a waterfall, the waterfall Louise in 1800, later than NQIA Chinese pavilions, stables and orangery. -Eric Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen (1800-1882) erected an iron cross in honor of St. Boniface in 1814.

A grand reception was held in Altenstein, August 13, 1846, in honor of the anniversary of Princess Adelaide married Duke of Clarence, later King of England, under the name of William IV. The park was enlarged between 1846 and 1852 under the direction of Eduard Petzold.

The Duke Theatre George rebuilt the castle in English-style Renaissance Revival in 1888-1889. He is ready for the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm , August 11, 1889. But the juice cancels the reception at the last moment, because the emperor refused to speak to Baroness Heldburg (1839-1923), wife of the Duke morganatic.

The park is still built between 1890 and 1900 and the admiration of many. Johannes Brahms is invited to the castle by the Duke, his patron. The latter died in 1914 and in November 1918, during the revolution, the German rulers must abdicate.

Prince Bernard III of Saxe-Meiningen-Hildburghausen and his wife Charlotte (sister of William II ) buried her in the park. The castle became the residence of Prince Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen and is sold after his death (which takes place in December 1941) in 1942 in the State of Thuringia by his widow.