CastleBautzen

Ortenburg Castle

Cultural facilitie

The Ortenburg castle in Bautzen's old town is a historical landmark in Saxony. It stands on a rocky plateau above the Spree River. For centuries, it served as the central fortress of Upper Lusatia and was the ancestral seat of the Milzen tribe.

History+

The rocky spur, encircled by the Spree, was already settled in the Bronze Age. King Henry I founded a regional castle here in 928 after conquering the Slavic Milzen territory. Under his reign, construction of a ring wall began, which his son Otto I completed and also had the Ortenburg built. In 1018, the Peace of Bautzen was concluded here. From 1158, Upper Lusatia became a fief of Bohemia, with the Ortenburg serving as its administrative center. The first documented mention of the Ortenburg dates back to 1405. In the 15th century, the castle received its fortifications before the Hussite Wars. Expansions followed the city fires of 1401 and 1441.

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: Maciek Wegrzyn

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: 51.1831, 14.4204