The remains of the Castle can be visited
CastleThüngersheim
Ravensburg Castle
The Ravensburg ruin, also called Rabensburg in the oldest records, south of Thüngersheim in Franconia, is a castle ruin from the Staufer period.
On the right bank of the Main, about eight kilometers north of Würzburg, a rock ridge of the existing Muschelkalk extends into the river valley. It forms the spur of a forest-covered hill and offers a wide view into the Main valley, which here runs almost straight in a north-south direction.
Around 1170, the Lords of Würzburg, vassals of the Bishop of Würzburg and the Empire, built a hilltop castle on the Ravensberg between Veitshöchheim and Thüngersheim. They named themselves after their seat, the Lords of Ravensburg. In 1178, a Heinrich von Ravensburg was first documented with this name. Together with the feudal lords of Falkenberg Castle, located high above Erlabrunn on the opposite side of the Main, the Ravensburgers dominated the Main valley north of Würzburg. They held a powerful position in the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg until, on December 3, 1202, Bodo von Ravensburg and Heinrich von Falkenberg were found guilty of murdering Bishop Konrad von Querfurt of Würzburg. As a punitive measure, Ravensburg and Falkenberg castles were razed, and the castle lords and their helpers were excommunicated by Pope Innocent III. Although the Ravensburgers and Falkenbergers were able to lift the ban under strict conditions and partially regain their old property rights, a reconstruction of the castles was no longer possible.
The open-air play "Gebrochene Schwingen" (Broken Wings), performed in Erlabrunn from 1995 to 2005, depicted the history of Ravensburg and Falkenberg Castle. The performance was resumed in 2009 on the occasion of Erlabrunn's 800th anniversary.
Description+
The Ravensburg originally occupied the entire rock spur in a trapezoidal extension. The length of the surrounding walls on the north, west, and east sides was about 40 meters, and on the south side about 30 meters. A deep neck ditch secured access to the castle, which was only possible via a drawbridge. Beyond this ditch lay the outer bailey, consisting of utility buildings that served to supply the castle inhabitants.
The entire complex was dominated by the mighty, round keep, which was both a lookout and a last refuge and housed the castle dungeon. Next to it was the palas, the residential building of the castle lords. The utility buildings were separated from the living area by an inner wall and partly had cellars. The existing Muschelkalk served as building material. Windows and door frames were made of Buntsandstein.
Today, only a few remnants of the once significant castle are visible. The ring wall of the Ravensburg, up to three meters thick and mortared onto the existing rock, is still partially preserved up to about one meter in height. The remains of the round keep, with a diameter of eleven meters, rise almost three meters above the ground.
Much more of the Ravensburg was preserved in the 19th century. In 1838, a vineyard was laid out in the area of the southward-facing utility buildings. A vaulted cellar about 20 meters long and seven meters wide was uncovered. The dividing walls of the individual utility sections were also clearly recognizable at that time. During digging, numerous brick fragments, charred beams, and the remains of round window reveals made of red sandstone came to light – clear signs that the castle had been destroyed not only by demolition but also by fire. Traces of fire were later also found during an archaeological investigation of the interior of the tower.
In 1997, the municipality of Thüngersheim and the Directorate for Rural Development Würzburg partially uncovered the remains of the keep and erected a memorial plaque.
Miscellaneous+
The Ravensburg gives its name to the Franconian large vineyard Thüngersheimer Ravensburg.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Ravensburg_Thuengersheim_Blick_nach_Sueden.jpg
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 49.8515, 9.8652