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123-533: The historic village center is located in the south of the borough. In the center of it are the ruins of a medieval castle , of which the keep still stands. Known as the "Gateway to the Rheingau ", the historic village is surrounded by vineyards and fruit orchards. Around late April and early May, its blooming cherry trees make Frauenstein a popular destination. Frauenstein borders the Wiesbaden boroughs of Dotzheim to

246-501: A Romantic revival of Gothic architecture , but they had no military purpose. The word castle is derived from the Latin word castellum , which is a diminutive of the word castrum , meaning "fortified place". The Old English castel , Occitan castel or chastel , French château , Spanish castillo , Portuguese castelo , Italian castello , and a number of words in other languages also derive from castellum . The word castle

369-456: A base of operations in enemy territory. Castles were established by Norman invaders of England for both defensive purposes and to pacify the country's inhabitants. As William the Conqueror advanced through England, he fortified key positions to secure the land he had taken. Between 1066 and 1087, he established 36 castles such as Warwick Castle , which he used to guard against rebellion in

492-595: A drawbridge , although these were often replaced by stone bridges. The site of the 13th-century Caerphilly Castle in Wales covers over 30 acres (12 ha) and the water defences, created by flooding the valley to the south of the castle, are some of the largest in Western Europe. Battlements were most often found surmounting curtain walls and the tops of gatehouses, and comprised several elements: crenellations , hoardings , machicolations , and loopholes . Crenellation

615-651: A 13.5 m-high stone obelisk in 1932. Other well-known estates include the Grorother Hof (established around 1327) and Hof Armada (possibly established as early as c. 1100), both south of the village center, and Schloss Sommerberg (est. 1563) to the west. North of the Grorother Court is the Europa-Wienberg ("Europe-vineyard"), in which are planted various characteristic wine-grape varieties of Europe (described by signs). A mill dating from 1699 also still stands in

738-533: A 5th Place in the world championships. Leaders in placement and youth training is the Wiesbaden Yacht Club. For the city championship and the necessary training, a course is laid out with buoys in the eastern Harbor. The Protestant Christophoruskirche , dedicated to St. Christopher , was built in 1752. It replaced an older church from the 9th century, which had become so dilapidated that in January 1752 parts of

861-466: A Roman fort or Byzantine tetrapyrgia which were square in plan and had square towers at each corner that did not project much beyond the curtain wall. The keep of these Crusader castles would have had a square plan and generally be undecorated. While castles were used to hold a site and control movement of armies, in the Holy Land some key strategic positions were left unfortified. Castle architecture in

984-462: A barbican was not just to provide another line of defence but also to dictate the only approach to the gate. A moat was a ditch surrounding a castle – or dividing one part of a castle from another – and could be either dry or filled with water. Its purpose often had a defensive purpose, preventing siege towers from reaching walls making mining harder, but could also be ornamental. Water moats were found in low-lying areas and were usually crossed by

1107-551: A catch-all term for all kinds of fortifications , and as a result has been misapplied in the technical sense. An example of this is Maiden Castle which, despite the name, is an Iron Age hill fort which had a very different origin and purpose. Although castle has not become a generic term for a manor house (like château in French and Schloss in German), many manor houses contain castle in their name while having few if any of

1230-570: A common origin, dealt with a particular mode of warfare, and exchanged influences. In different areas of the world, analogous structures shared features of fortification and other defining characteristics associated with the concept of a castle, though they originated in different periods and circumstances and experienced differing evolutions and influences. For example, shiro in Japan, described as castles by historian Stephen Turnbull , underwent "a completely different developmental history, were built in

1353-476: A completely different way and were designed to withstand attacks of a completely different nature". While European castles built from the late 12th and early 13th century onwards were generally stone, shiro were predominantly timber buildings into the 16th century. By the 16th century, when Japanese and European cultures met, fortification in Europe had moved beyond castles and relied on innovations such as

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1476-641: A confined space and unable to retaliate. It is a popular myth that murder holes  – openings in the ceiling of the gateway passage – were used to pour boiling oil or molten lead on attackers; the price of oil and lead and the distance of the gatehouse from fires meant that this was impractical. This method was, however, a common practice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean castles and fortifications, where such resources were abundant. They were most likely used to drop objects on attackers, or to allow water to be poured on fires to extinguish them. Provision

1599-413: A fortification such as a city wall . The great hall was a large, decorated room where a lord received his guests. The hall represented the prestige, authority, and richness of the lord. Events such as feasts, banquets, social or ceremonial gatherings, meetings of the military council, and judicial trials were held in the great hall. Sometimes the great hall existed as a separate building, in that case, it

1722-605: A long time in a constant state of alert"; elsewhere the lord's wife presided over a separate residence ( domus , aula or mansio in Latin) close to the keep, and the donjon was a barracks and headquarters. Gradually, the two functions merged into the same building, and the highest residential storeys had large windows; as a result for many structures, it is difficult to find an appropriate term. The massive internal spaces seen in many surviving donjons can be misleading; they would have been divided into several rooms by light partitions, as in

1845-536: A lord of Frauenstein Castle. In the year 1231, a document of the Erbach monastery mentions a knight by the name of Siegfried von Frauenstein who was a marshal with the bishopric of Mainz. He was a descendant of an aristocratic Schierstein family (which would become extinct in 1380). It is not known who built Frauenstein Castle , but, based on dendrochronological evidence, its construction has been dated to around 1184. Built on

1968-435: A lord's home or hall was fire as it was usually a wooden structure. To protect against this, and keep other threats at bay, there were several courses of action available: create encircling earthworks to keep an enemy at a distance; build the hall in stone; or raise it up on an artificial mound, known as a motte, to present an obstacle to attackers. While the concept of ditches , ramparts , and stone walls as defensive measures

2091-538: A massive scale, utilising stone, wood, iron and earth in their construction. The Romans encountered fortified settlements such as hill forts and oppida when expanding their territory into northern Europe. Their defences were often effective, and were only overcome by the extensive use of siege engines and other siege warfare techniques, such as at the Battle of Alesia . The Romans' own fortifications ( castra ) varied from simple temporary earthworks thrown up by armies on

2214-642: A modern office building. Even in some large castles the great hall was separated only by a partition from the lord's chamber, his bedroom and to some extent his office. Curtain walls were defensive walls enclosing a bailey. They had to be high enough to make scaling the walls with ladders difficult and thick enough to withstand bombardment from siege engines which, from the 15th century onwards, included gunpowder artillery . A typical wall could be 3 m (10 ft) thick and 12 m (39 ft) tall, although sizes varied greatly between castles. To protect them from undermining , curtain walls were sometimes given

2337-494: A quartzite outcropping of the Spitzen Stein the castle was not intended as a defensive fortress, but rather as a watch-tower. It also served the tower guards as a dwelling. The construction of the castle with its high walls and battlements gave protection to farmers in the area and led to the emergence of the village of the same name. Later, the castle was extended by a fore-castle with pond, as could be confirmed by excavations in

2460-619: A result there were 4,000 in the country. There are very few castles dated with certainty from the mid-9th century. Converted into a donjon around 950, Château de Doué-la-Fontaine in France is the oldest standing castle in Europe . From 1000 onwards, references to castles in texts such as charters increased greatly. Historians have interpreted this as evidence of a sudden increase in the number of castles in Europe around this time; this has been supported by archaeological investigation which has dated

2583-470: A scientific design. An example of this approach is Kerak . Although there were no scientific elements to its design, it was almost impregnable, and in 1187 Saladin chose to lay siege to the castle and starve out its garrison rather than risk an assault. During the late 11th and 12th centuries in what is now south-central Turkey the Hospitallers , Teutonic Knights and Templars established themselves in

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2706-420: A stone skirt around their bases. Walkways along the tops of the curtain walls allowed defenders to rain missiles on enemies below, and battlements gave them further protection. Curtain walls were studded with towers to allow enfilading fire along the wall. Arrowslits in the walls did not become common in Europe until the 13th century, for fear that they might compromise the wall's strength. The entrance

2829-411: A stone tower. The tower was built on the eastern end of the roof, positioned directly behind the pulpit from where the bells could be rung. The foundation stone was laid on 3 May 1752 and the topping-out ceremony on 9 November 1752. The costs of building of 9006 guilders was nearly double the original estimate, but it was offset by revenue of 9262 guilders obtained from loans, collections (especially from

2952-549: A venue of the Rheingau Musik Festival , such as the ensemble amarcord . Election results for representatives to the borough assembly ( Ortsbeirat ) of Frauenstein are given in the following table (expressed in percent): The distribution of seats in the Ortsbeirat of Frauenstein is as follows: Some material derived from German Misplaced Pages Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during

3075-424: A wall with openings that allowed objects to be dropped on an enemy at the base of the wall in a similar fashion to hoardings. Arrowslits , also commonly called loopholes, were narrow vertical openings in defensive walls which allowed arrows or crossbow bolts to be fired on attackers. The narrow slits were intended to protect the defender by providing a very small target, but the size of the opening could also impede

3198-400: A wooden door. This led to the elevation of windows to the second storey – to make it harder to throw objects in – and to move the entrance from ground level to the second storey. These features are seen in many surviving castle keeps, which were the more sophisticated version of halls. Castles were not just defensive sites but also enhanced a lord's control over his lands. They allowed

3321-529: Is 13.7% (1,384). As of 1 January 2008, the primary countries of origin of the foreign citizens were Turkey (23.6%), Greece (22.7%), Italy (8.1%), Poland (6.1%), and Serbia (5.5%). Also as of 1 January 2008, the age structure of the population was as follows: North of the Schierstein town center, running parallel to the Rhine, is Autobahn 66 . West of Schierstein it becomes Federal Route 42, leading into

3444-531: Is a corrupted form of "donjon" and means a dark, unwelcoming prison. Although often the strongest part of a castle and a last place of refuge if the outer defences fell, the keep was not left empty in case of attack but was used as a residence by the lord who owned the castle, or his guests or representatives. At first, this was usual only in England, when after the Norman Conquest of 1066 the "conquerors lived for

3567-536: Is a southwestern borough of Wiesbaden , capital of state of Hesse , Germany . First mentioned in historical records in 860, Schierstein was incorporated into Wiesbaden in 1926. Today the borough has about 10,000 residents. Situated on the Rhine River, Schierstein is known as the "Gateway to the Rheingau ." Before about 2000 years ago, a small Germanic settlement was located north of present-day Schierstein. The inhabitants lived on fishing and hunting. The course of

3690-433: Is ancient, raising a motte is a medieval innovation. A bank and ditch enclosure was a simple form of defence, and when found without an associated motte is called a ringwork; when the site was in use for a prolonged period, it was sometimes replaced by a more complex structure or enhanced by the addition of a stone curtain wall. Building the hall in stone did not necessarily make it immune to fire as it still had windows and

3813-511: Is home to a population of the Aesculapian Snake , a large, non-venomous snake rare to this area of Europe. While the German name Frauen-Stein can be translated "women's stone", it actually derives from Vrowenstein , a name which first appears in the historical record in 1221. In that year, a deed names a Heinrich Bodo von Vrowenstein (in 1207/1209, he was mentioned as being from Idstein ) as

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3936-526: Is similar present-day vernacular pronunciation "Scherstaa" . Schierstein means "Fortress of Sherto", suggesting that there was probably a castle here. This assumption is confirmed by Roman bricks found on the grounds of the Söhnlein plant. Documents dating to 1275 show that a court (German Centgericht ) functioned here made up of the mayor and seven jury members. In the following centuries, the small community suffered many armed conflicts, being spared from none of

4059-407: Is the collective name for alternating crenels and merlons : gaps and solid blocks on top of a wall. Hoardings were wooden constructs that projected beyond the wall, allowing defenders to shoot at, or drop objects on, attackers at the base of the wall without having to lean perilously over the crenellations, thereby exposing themselves to retaliatory fire. Machicolations were stone projections on top of

4182-481: Is the entrance to the Heritage Museum. On Bernhard-Schwarz-Straße, a green space marks the location of the destroyed synagogue. On Küferstraße, a well-known pair of white storks nests on an abandoned chimney. About 50 stork pairs breed in a nature conservation area on the grounds of the Rhine water treatment plant on the west side of Schierstein, between the borough and Walluf. The storks have been reintroduced by

4305-599: Is the port promenade, which because of its Mediterranean flair, has become known as the "Schiersteiner Riviera". Spanning the small exit from the harbor to the Rhein is the Dyckerhoff Bridge. The pedestrian bridge was donated in 1967 by the Wiesbaden cement manufacturer of that name. The bridge, with its elegant arc, was one of the first prestressed concrete bridges in Germany. Several yacht clubs and water-sports clubs are based at

4428-891: The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , where they discovered an extensive network of sophisticated fortifications which had a profound impact on the architecture of Crusader castles . Most of the Armenian military sites in Cilicia are characterized by: multiple bailey walls laid with irregular plans to follow the sinuosities of the outcrops; rounded and especially horseshoe-shaped towers; finely-cut often rusticated ashlar facing stones with intricate poured cores; concealed postern gates and complex bent entrances with slot machicolations; embrasured loopholes for archers; barrel, pointed or groined vaults over undercrofts, gates and chapels; and cisterns with elaborate scarped drains. Civilian settlement are often found in

4551-485: The Bayeux Tapestry 's depiction of Château de Dinan . Sometimes a motte covered an older castle or hall, whose rooms became underground storage areas and prisons beneath a new keep. A bailey, also called a ward, was a fortified enclosure. It was a common feature of castles, and most had at least one. The keep on top of the motte was the domicile of the lord in charge of the castle and a bastion of last defence, while

4674-516: The English Midlands . Towards the end of the Middle Ages, castles tended to lose their military significance due to the advent of powerful cannons and permanent artillery fortifications; as a result, castles became more important as residences and statements of power. A castle could act as a stronghold and prison but was also a place where a knight or lord could entertain his peers. Over time

4797-576: The Grorother Bach . The Grorother Bach flows southeast, reaching the Rhine at Schierstein . A hill called the Spitzen Stein stands just east of the village center. Other nearby high points include Grauerstein (elevation 339 m) to the northwest and Leierkopf (207 m) to the east. The highest point in Frauenstein is Rotekrauzkopf (elevation 509 m) in the far northwest of the borough. The Frauenstein area

4920-502: The Iron Age . Hillforts in Britain typically used earthworks rather than stone as a building material. Many earthworks survive today, along with evidence of palisades to accompany the ditches. In central and western Europe, oppida emerged in the 2nd century BC; these were densely inhabited fortified settlements, such as the oppidum of Manching . Some oppida walls were built on

5043-576: The Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders . Scholars usually consider a castle to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a mansion , palace , and villa , whose main purpose was exclusively for pleasance and are not primarily fortresses but may be fortified. Use of the term has varied over time and, sometimes, has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th- and 20th-century homes built to resemble castles. Over

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5166-474: The Ortsbeirat of Schierstein is as follows: In Schierstein there is a community sports club, Turngemeinde Schierstein 1848 , with offerings in handball, track and field, tennis, and gymnastics. Schierstein is also home to several football clubs - FSV Schierstein 08 eV, SV Schierstein 1913 eV, SG Schierstein 1979 and Hellas Schierstein; Freie Turnerschaft Schierstein 1913 eV , and the water-sports club Wassersportverein Schierstein . In addition, in recent years,

5289-476: The Romans . The gatehouse contained a series of defences to make a direct assault more difficult than battering down a simple gate. Typically, there were one or more portcullises  – a wooden grille reinforced with metal to block a passage – and arrowslits to allow defenders to harry the enemy. The passage through the gatehouse was lengthened to increase the amount of time an assailant had to spend under fire in

5412-652: The Schiersteiner Storchengemeinschaft (“Schierstein Stork Association”) beginning in 1972. Since the reintroduction of the white stork in Schierstein, over 600 young storks have been born in Schierstein. Many of them now breed in other places in Germany and abroad. Also west of the town center stands the Rheingau Palace, the former head of Sektkellerei Söhnlein. Following the acquisition of Söhnlein also by its Wiesbaden-based competitor Henkell's,

5535-467: The U.S. Air Force 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group in early 1952, who remained until the site was deactivated on 1 July 1992. The site of the former Kaserne has since been redeveloped as residential housing. The old town center with its narrow alleys is situated upstream of the Schiersteiner Port. The Rococo Christophoruskirche is located in the center of the old town. Directly next door

5658-677: The 1.9 km swimming distance of the "Ironman 70.3 Germany Wiesbaden" Triathlon has gone through the Schiersteiner Harbor docks, at the western end of which is the first transition area for cycling. For several years, the Schiersteiner Port regularly hosts the Wiesbaden city championship in Formula Future motorboat racing . In this discipline, Wiesbaden has provided, since the year 2000, one European champion, two German champions, three German runners-up, four Hessen champions, and

5781-432: The 16th century, new techniques to deal with improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable and undesirable places to live. As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery star forts with no role in civil administration, and château or country houses that were indefensible. From the 18th century onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock castles, part of

5904-692: The 18th century, the castle lost its significance as border security and was no longer maintained. In the Secularization of 1803 , the town was brought under the control of the Count of Nassau and in 1808 the serfs were granted freedom of movement. In 1866, the town - like all of Nassau - came under the control of Prussia . In 1544, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mainz removed Frauenstein from under its parent community of Schierstein and made it an independent parish. The village chapel, built in 1509,

6027-538: The Archbishopric of Mainz. Since 1928, Frauenstein has been incorporated into Wiesbaden. In municipal heraldry, complete portrayal of persons is largely avoided due to convenience and good visibility of the heraldic elements. Therefore, only parts of people are used in the heraldic shield - here, for example, the arm of St. George. On a hill above the town stands the Nürnberger Hof, a former military outpost built by

6150-646: The Christians were victorious in the First Crusade (1096–1099), rather than nearly 100 years later. Remains of Roman structures in Western Europe were still standing in many places, some of which had flanking round-towers and entrances between two flanking towers. The castle builders of Western Europe were aware of and influenced by Roman design; late Roman coastal forts on the English " Saxon Shore " were reused and in Spain

6273-486: The Commandments (representing Love). (This is a representation of St. Paul's quotation in 1 Corinthians 13:13 - "But now remain faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love".) The four Corinthian columns of the altar area symbolize the four Evangelists. The twelve Doric columns bearing the galleries represent the twelve apostles. Scheffer, for reasons of cost, planned a small wooden bell tower instead of

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6396-512: The Count of Nassau Georg August Samuel to allow the town free movement of goods without tax (which he did). Only in 1720 was the community able to cover part of its debts. From 1745 to 1763, Schierstein was alternately occupied by French and imperial troops and the citizens forced to give them quarter. However, the Protestant Church was constructed at this time. In the middle of the 19th century, Schierstein began to grow strongly due to

6519-561: The Count of Nassau in the 14th century. Now owned by the city of Wiesbaden, it has been leased by the Becker family since 1939, who have operated a wine bar there since 1949. In June 1815, during a curative visit to the spas in Wiesbaden, the famous German poet and artist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent a lunch at the Hof admiring the "splendid view." His visit was commemorated with the Goethestein ,

6642-612: The East became more complex around the late 12th and early 13th centuries after the stalemate of the Third Crusade (1189–1192). Both Christians and Muslims created fortifications, and the character of each was different. Saphadin , the 13th-century ruler of the Saracens, created structures with large rectangular towers that influenced Muslim architecture and were copied again and again, however they had little influence on Crusader castles. In

6765-708: The Frankfurt collection), donations and grants, together with the proceeds from the sale of recyclable materials salvaged from the old church. The church is used for concerts of the Schiersteiner Kantorei , and is a venue of the Rheingau Musik Festival . Besides the church, the Protestant community of Schierstein also includes the over forty-year-old Church of the Resurrection in North Schierstein (the part of

6888-526: The French troops were replaced in Schierstein by two English infantry companies of the 2nd Battalion, who remained until 1930. In 1938, the Kaserne officially became a German military installation, housing the 12th German Medical Supply Depot. The depot remained at Schierstein until late 1945, when the United States Army forces occupied Wiesbaden. The Schierstein Kaserne eventually became the headquarters of

7011-515: The Iberian Peninsula was the use of detached towers, called Albarrana towers , around the perimeter as can be seen at the Alcazaba of Badajoz . Probably developed in the 12th century, the towers provided flanking fire. They were connected to the castle by removable wooden bridges, so if the towers were captured the rest of the castle was not accessible. When seeking to explain this change in

7134-470: The Italian trace italienne and star forts . A motte was an earthen mound with a flat top. It was often artificial, although sometimes it incorporated a pre-existing feature of the landscape. The excavation of earth to make the mound left a ditch around the motte, called a moat (which could be either wet or dry). Although the motte is commonly associated with the bailey to form a motte-and-bailey castle, this

7257-503: The Middle Ages, when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls , arrowslits , and portcullises , were commonplace. European-style castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries after the fall of the Carolingian Empire , which resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. These nobles built castles to control

7380-689: The Rheingau to Rüdesheim . Northeast of Schierstein is the Schiersteiner Kreuz interchange, where Autobahn 643 intersects the A 66. The A 643 leads south to Mainz , crossing the Rhine via the Schierstein Bridge . Schierstein's railway station is situated on the East Rhine railway , which connects Wiesbaden's Hauptbahnhof (main train station) with Niederlahnstein . The station is served by regional trains to Koblenz and Frankfurt am Main via

7503-530: The Rhine Valley. To better manage the Frankish Empire, Charlemagne divided his kingdom into individual "Gaue". Schierstein belonged to Königssondergau , which stretched from Walluf to Kriftel . The region west of Schierstein received its current name of "Rheingau". The name of Schierstein changed often over time: it was Skerdesstein in 943, Skerdisstein by 1000, and Scerstein in 1015. This last name

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7626-460: The Rhine at this time extended to the edge of the forest. Here there was a large lake, which extended as far west as the Binger Loch (near Bingen am Rhein ). Sand deposits and other evidence indicates that this lake extended as far north as Blierweg (near Autobahn A-66 ), Nußberg, and Freudenberg. Over the centuries, the channel at Binger Loch grew deeper and consequently the water level and area of

7749-415: The Rhine the borough of Mombach, northwest of Schierstein is the borough of Frauenstein and west is the wine center of Walluf . The Schiersteiner Port is situated along the Rhine (km 506.0) in Schierstein. The Port is largely used as a marina today. Constructed in 1858, the port has a length of 1250 meters and has become a water sports center with a 1250-meter-long regatta course. On its northern shore

7872-577: The Schierstein curate a collection of 604 guilders in the Free Imperial City, which provided the basis for the construction of the church. After the blueprints of Johann Georg Bager were rejected by Prince Charles of Nassau-Usingen as too big and too expensive, a cheaper plan was designed by Johann Scheffer, which the prince approved. Von Ritter contributed suggestions, especially for the interior decoration. Von Schweitzer commissioned Frankfurt sculptor Johann Daniel Schnorr to build pulpit and altar. On

7995-569: The Schiersteiner Port, including customer seminars, boat driver's licenses for sailing and motor boats, and navigation. The "Schiersteiner Harbor Festival" is held at the Port every year in mid-July. It includes dragon boat races and a fireworks display. In addition, the Wiesbaden-Biebrich Rowing Society holds the Ruder ("Helm") Regatta at the Schiersteiner Port each year. Since August 2007,

8118-597: The Schiersteiner Port, including the Middle Rhine Motorboat Club and the water-sports club Wassersportverein Schierstein . The port also has a boathouse for the Wiesbaden schools and the Wiesbaden-Biebrich rowing society, which offers rowing as a hobby and a competitive sport for youth and adults. For more than 15 years, the Volkshochschule Wiesbaden has offered training for water sports at

8241-441: The Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof . Schierstein is served by several bus routes of Stadtwerke Wiesbaden (ESWE) and the Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH (ORN), which connect it with the Wiesbaden city center. In the opposite direction, ORN buses lead to the Rheingau and Taunus . MVG Mainz and ESWE operate Community Route 47 to Gonsenheim and route 45 to the Mainz Hauptbahnhof via Mainz-Mombach . Schierstein has two industrial areas - on

8364-412: The Wiesbaden City Council. It was derived from two old court seals, the "Sigillu(m) Ivdicii Valis Fravwe(n)stein"(with prints dating from 1545 to 1668) and another with prints dating from 1727 to 1791. Both seals are depictions of the legendary battle of St. George and the Dragon. St. George a patron saint of the church. The color red is used to characterize Frauenstein's former position as a possession of

8487-413: The aesthetics of the design became more important, as the castle's appearance and size began to reflect the prestige and power of its occupant. Comfortable homes were often fashioned within their fortified walls. Although castles still provided protection from low levels of violence in later periods, eventually they were succeeded by country houses as high-status residences. Castle is sometimes used as

8610-404: The architectural characteristics, usually as their owners liked to maintain a link to the past and felt the term castle was a masculine expression of their power. In scholarship the castle, as defined above, is generally accepted as a coherent concept, originating in Europe and later spreading to parts of the Middle East, where they were introduced by European Crusaders. This coherent group shared

8733-507: The area immediately surrounding them and they were both offensive and defensive structures: they provided a base from which raids could be launched as well as offered protection from enemies. Although their military origins are often emphasised in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local populace and important travel routes, and rural castles were often situated near features that were integral to life in

8856-426: The bailey was the home of the rest of the lord's household and gave them protection. The barracks for the garrison, stables, workshops, and storage facilities were often found in the bailey. Water was supplied by a well or cistern . Over time the focus of high status accommodation shifted from the keep to the bailey; this resulted in the creation of another bailey that separated the high status buildings – such as

8979-643: The borough north of the railway line). Schierstein is also home to the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter und Paul , consecrated in 1968. The portal displays hammered-copper symbols of the primary occupations of the residents of Schierstein (fishing, agriculture, viticulture, industry), as well as the historical symbol of Schierstein (the royal orb) and the symbols for the two patron saints (a key and sword, respectively). As of 30 November 2008, Schierstein has 10,106 inhabitants, of whom 5,228 (51.7%) are women and 4,878 (48.3%) are men. The percentage of foreigners

9102-555: The church tower collapsed. The congregation had already contemplated for several years to build a new church, since the old building had become too small. The Baroque architect Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Groenesteyn , who owned property in Schierstein, had donated a site to the church in 1750. In 1748, the Mayor of Frankfurt , merchant and banker Johann Georg von Schweitzer (a member of the Frauenstein Gesellschaft ), had allowed

9225-431: The community, such as mills, fertile land, or a water source. Many northern European castles were originally built from earth and timber but had their defences replaced later by stone . Early castles often exploited natural defences, lacking features such as towers and arrowslits and relying on a central keep . In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to

9348-563: The complexity and style of castles, antiquarians found their answer in the Crusades. It seemed that the Crusaders had learned much about fortification from their conflicts with the Saracens and exposure to Byzantine architecture . There were legends such as that of Lalys – an architect from Palestine who reputedly went to Wales after the Crusades and greatly enhanced the castles in the south of

9471-450: The construction of castle sites through the examination of ceramics. The increase in Italy began in the 950s, with numbers of castles increasing by a factor of three to five every 50 years, whereas in other parts of Europe such as France and Spain the growth was slower. In 950, Provence was home to 12 castles; by 1000, this figure had risen to 30, and by 1030 it was over 100. Although

9594-515: The construction of the port. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was connected with Wiesbaden by a tram, via Biebrich . In 1926, Schierstein was incorporated into the city of Wiesbaden. In 1923, the Schierstein Kaserne was built east of the town center to house occupation troops of the French Army (the 133rd and 243rd Field Artillery Regiments) following World War I . In January 1926,

9717-474: The country – and it was assumed that great architects such as James of Saint George originated in the East. In the mid-20th century this view was cast into doubt. Legends were discredited, and in the case of James of Saint George it was proven that he came from Saint-Georges-d'Espéranche , in France. If the innovations in fortification had derived from the East, it would have been expected for their influence to be seen from 1100 onwards, immediately after

9840-427: The defender if it was too small. A smaller horizontal opening could be added to give an archer a better view for aiming. Sometimes a sally port was included; this could allow the garrison to leave the castle and engage besieging forces. It was usual for the latrines to empty down the external walls of a castle and into the surrounding ditch. A postern is a secondary door or gate in a concealed location, usually in

9963-552: The dominant form of castle in England, Wales, and Ireland well into the 12th century. At the same time, castle architecture in mainland Europe became more sophisticated. The donjon was at the centre of this change in castle architecture in the 12th century. Central towers proliferated, and typically had a square plan, with walls 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft) thick. Their decoration emulated Romanesque architecture , and sometimes incorporated double windows similar to those found in church bell towers. Donjons, which were

10086-589: The early 13th century, Crusader castles were mostly built by Military Orders including the Knights Hospitaller , Knights Templar , and Teutonic Knights . The orders were responsible for the foundation of sites such as Krak des Chevaliers , Margat , and Belvoir . Design varied not just between orders, but between individual castles, though it was common for those founded in this period to have concentric defences. Wiesbaden-Schierstein Schierstein

10209-471: The east side of the borough along the A-643 and a smaller area north of the railroad line. Major companies include Dow Corning , bearing-manufacturer Federal Mogul (formerly Glyco Metall), and chemical distributor A. + E. Fischer-Chemie . Election results for representatives to the borough assembly ( Ortsbeirat ) of Schierstein are given in the following table (expressed in percent): The distribution of seats in

10332-413: The economy and justice. However, while castles proliferated in the 9th and 10th centuries the link between periods of insecurity and building fortifications is not always straightforward. Some high concentrations of castles occur in secure places, while some border regions had relatively few castles. It is likely that the castle evolved from the practice of fortifying a lordly home. The greatest threat to

10455-524: The elements of castle architecture were military in nature, so that devices such as moats evolved from their original purpose of defence into symbols of power. Some grand castles had long winding approaches intended to impress and dominate their landscape. Although gunpowder was introduced to Europe in the 14th century, it did not significantly affect castle building until the 15th century, when artillery became powerful enough to break through stone walls. While castles continued to be built well into

10578-529: The fortresses, including Frauenstein, and devastated the Rheingau. The castle was soon restored, however. In 1310 Johann von Limburg also sold his shares of the castle to the Mainz bishopric so that it had gained full control over the castle by the year 1319. Mainz, however, once again sold parts of the castle so that, by 1390, it possessed only half of the castle. The noble co-owners often settled in Frauenstein and built beautiful half-timbered houses which still stand in

10701-584: The garrison to control the surrounding area, and formed a centre of administration, providing the lord with a place to hold court . Building a castle sometimes required the permission of the king or other high authority. In 864 the King of West Francia, Charles the Bald , prohibited the construction of castella without his permission and ordered them all to be destroyed. This is perhaps the earliest reference to castles, though military historian R. Allen Brown points out that

10824-541: The headquarters was abandoned. Today, the buildings are used for offices. Among other things, a branch of the European Business School of Oestrich-Winkel is located here. To the east of the old town Schierstein borders the great industrial Äppelallee of the neighboring borough of Biebrich . North is the Siedlung Freudenberg neighborhood, part of the borough of Wiesbaden-Dotzheim . In the south across

10947-676: The immediate proximity of these fortifications. After the First Crusade, Crusaders who did not return to their homes in Europe helped found the Crusader states of the Principality of Antioch , the County of Edessa , the Kingdom of Jerusalem , and the County of Tripoli . The castles they founded to secure their acquisitions were designed mostly by Syrian master-masons. Their design was very similar to that of

11070-428: The increase was slower in Spain, the 1020s saw a particular growth in the number of castles in the region, particularly in contested border areas between Christian and Muslim lands. Despite the common period in which castles rose to prominence in Europe, their form and design varied from region to region. In the early 11th century, the motte and keep – an artificial mound with a palisade and tower on top –

11193-516: The lake decreased. The dry land soon attracted the first settlers to present-day Schierstein. By that time, the Roman Empire was expanding north, building fortresses beyond the Rhine. A colony of soldiers was established in Schierstein which served as an advanced guard. The colony was established north of the present Schierstein railway station, as shown by archeological finds of bronze, stone, horn and clay discovered there. Also found from this period

11316-414: The lay of the land (the result was often irregular or curvilinear structures). The design of castles was not uniform, but these were features that could be found in a typical castle in the mid-12th century. By the end of the 12th century or the early 13th century, a newly constructed castle could be expected to be polygonal in shape, with towers at the corners to provide enfilading fire for

11439-454: The local feudal lords, either for themselves or for their monarch. Feudalism was the link between a lord and his vassal where, in return for military service and the expectation of loyalty, the lord would grant the vassal land. In the late 20th century, there was a trend to refine the definition of a castle by including the criterion of feudal ownership, thus tying castles to the medieval period; however, this does not necessarily reflect

11562-499: The lord's chambers and the chapel – from the everyday structures such as the workshops and barracks. From the late 12th century there was a trend for knights to move out of the small houses they had previously occupied within the bailey to live in fortified houses in the countryside. Although often associated with the motte-and-bailey type of castle, baileys could also be found as independent defensive structures. These simple fortifications were called ringworks . The enceinte

11685-420: The loss of the donjon. Where keeps did exist, they were no longer square but polygonal or cylindrical. Gateways were more strongly defended, with the entrance to the castle usually between two half-round towers which were connected by a passage above the gateway – although there was great variety in the styles of gateway and entrances – and one or more portcullis. A peculiar feature of Muslim castles in

11808-463: The main living quarters of the castle and usually the most strongly defended point of a castle before the introduction of concentric defence . "Keep" was not a term used in the medieval period – the term was applied from the 16th century onwards – instead " donjon " was used to refer to great towers, or turris in Latin. In motte-and-bailey castles, the keep was on top of the motte. "Dungeon"

11931-444: The move, to elaborate permanent stone constructions, notably the milecastles of Hadrian's Wall . Roman forts were generally rectangular with rounded corners – a "playing-card shape". In the medieval period, castles were influenced by earlier forms of elite architecture, contributing to regional variations. Importantly, while castles had military aspects, they contained a recognisable household structure within their walls, reflecting

12054-438: The multi-functional use of these buildings. The subject of the emergence of castles in Europe is a complex matter which has led to considerable debate. Discussions have typically attributed the rise of the castle to a reaction to attacks by Magyars , Muslims , and Vikings and a need for private defence. The breakdown of the Carolingian Empire led to the privatisation of government, and local lords assumed responsibility for

12177-526: The north and northeast and Schierstein to the southeast. The town of Schlangenbad lies to the west. The Schlangenbad borough of Georgenborn is almost an enclave, bordered to the north, east, and south by Frauenstein. The historic village center of Frauenstein is situated in a narrow valley formed by two streams, the Lippbach and Katzbach . These are joined by the Erlenbach south of the village center to form

12300-573: The number of castles being built went into decline. This has been partly attributed to the higher cost of stone-built fortifications, and the obsolescence of timber and earthwork sites, which meant it was preferable to build in more durable stone. Although superseded by their stone successors, timber and earthwork castles were by no means useless. This is evidenced by the continual maintenance of timber castles over long periods, sometimes several centuries; Owain Glyndŵr 's 11th-century timber castle at Sycharth

12423-514: The proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire . Many new castles were polygonal or relied on concentric defence – several stages of defence within each other that could all function at the same time to maximise the castle's firepower. These changes in defence have been attributed to a mixture of castle technology from the Crusades , such as concentric fortification , and inspiration from earlier defences, such as Roman forts . Not all

12546-408: The pulpit, Schnorr carved three coats of arms: in the middle was the emblem of Nassau-Usingen, on the right was the Schierstein orb with a cross, and on the left was the crest of von Schweitzer, the Frankfurt benefactor. Above the pulpit are three cherubs: one holding a chalice (representing faith), another holding an anchor (representing hope), and the third - placed higher than faith and hope - holding

12669-424: The residence of the lord of the castle, evolved to become more spacious. The design emphasis of donjons changed to reflect a shift from functional to decorative requirements, imposing a symbol of lordly power upon the landscape. This sometimes led to compromising defence for the sake of display. Until the 12th century, stone-built and earth and timber castles were contemporary, but by the late 12th century

12792-675: The southeastern portion of the Gorother Hof estate. Another famous landmark is the "1000-year old Linden" next to the Catholic Church of St. George and St. Catherine. The fountain in the square in front of the Church is crowned with a figure of St. George. The Falkerscher Hof on Georgstraße and the Schönbornscher Hof on Kirschblütenstraße are well-preserved beautiful half-timbered houses. The Church of St. George and St. Catherine has been

12915-521: The terminology used in the medieval period. During the First Crusade (1096–1099), the Frankish armies encountered walled settlements and forts that they indiscriminately referred to as castles, but which would not be considered as such under the modern definition. Castles served a range of purposes, the most important of which were military, administrative, and domestic. As well as defensive structures, castles were also offensive tools which could be used as

13038-413: The village to the present day. Over the following centuries, the disputes between Mainz and Nassau continued. Nassau was able to prevent Mainz's possessions in the area from growing by encircling the castle with a chain of five fortified farms: Sommerberg, Rosenkoeppel, Nürnberg, Groroth, and Armada. All of these estates, with the exception of Rosenkoeppel, are still preserved today. In the second half of

13161-562: The wall around the city of Ávila imitated Roman architecture when it was built in 1091. Historian Smail in Crusading warfare argued that the case for the influence of Eastern fortification on the West has been overstated, and that Crusaders of the 12th century in fact learned very little about scientific design from Byzantine and Saracen defences. A well-sited castle that made use of natural defences and had strong ditches and walls had no need for

13284-413: The walls. The towers would have protruded from the walls and featured arrowslits on each level to allow archers to target anyone nearing or at the curtain wall. These later castles did not always have a keep, but this may have been because the more complex design of the castle as a whole drove up costs and the keep was sacrificed to save money. The larger towers provided space for habitation to make up for

13407-529: The wars that raged across the Rhineland. The population especially suffered during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). Up to that time, the farmers had achieved a certain prosperity, but, according to a chronicle of several large estates, almost all were terribly devastated and vineyards left to grow wild. The plague decimated the population and Schierstein fell into large debt. Therefore, the community requested

13530-460: The word castella may have applied to any fortification at the time. In some countries the monarch had little control over lords, or required the construction of new castles to aid in securing the land so was unconcerned about granting permission – as was the case in England in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest and the Holy Land during the Crusades . Switzerland is an extreme case of there being no state control over who built castles, and as

13653-456: The year 1943. Around 1300, Siegfried IV von Frauenstein sold part of the castle, along with surrounding property and its serfs, to Gerhard, the Archbishop of Mainz . Gerhard wanted the castle in order to protect the eastern border of his possessions in the Rheingau against his rival, the Count of Nassau . In May 1301, forces of King Albert of Austria fought against Mainz. They captured all of

13776-507: Was a giant Jovian pillar. Such columns were often erected by Roman landowners to show that their property stood under the protection of the deity. The Schiersteiner pillar is completely preserved. It clearly depicts a Germanic view of Jupiter, as a flying rider modelled after the Germanic god Wotan . Roman rule in Schierstein lasted for almost three and a half centuries. Then the Franks settled in

13899-605: Was called a hall-house. Historian Charles Coulson states that the accumulation of wealth and resources, such as food, led to the need for defensive structures. The earliest fortifications originated in the Fertile Crescent , the Indus Valley , Europe, Egypt, and China where settlements were protected by large walls. In Northern Europe , hill forts were first developed in the Bronze Age , which then proliferated across Europe in

14022-472: Was common, and usually between local lords. Castles were introduced into England shortly before the Norman Conquest in 1066. Before the 12th century castles were as uncommon in Denmark as they had been in England before the Norman Conquest. The introduction of castles to Denmark was a reaction to attacks from Wendish pirates, and they were usually intended as coastal defences. The motte and bailey remained

14145-424: Was expanded and re-dedicated to St. George and St. Catherine . After secularization, the church received major artworks from the dissolved monasteries, Eberbach Abbey and Tiefenthal, including a Baroque altar. A new church was constructed in 1953 perpendicular to the old church. The Protestant Gustav-Adolf Church was established in 1959. The present coat of arms of Frauenstein was officially approved in 1951 by

14268-430: Was in short supply. Although stone construction would later become common elsewhere, from the 11th century onwards it was the primary building material for Christian castles in Spain, while at the same time timber was still the dominant building material in north-west Europe. Historians have interpreted the widespread presence of castles across Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries as evidence that warfare

14391-580: Was introduced into English shortly before the Norman Conquest of 1066 to denote this type of building, which was then new to England. In its simplest terms, the definition of a castle accepted amongst academics is "a private fortified residence". This contrasts with earlier fortifications, such as Anglo-Saxon burhs and walled cities such as Constantinople and Antioch in the Middle East; castles were not communal defences but were built and owned by

14514-420: Was made in the upper storey of the gatehouse for accommodation so the gate was never left undefended, although this arrangement later evolved to become more comfortable at the expense of defence. During the 13th and 14th centuries the barbican was developed. This consisted of a rampart , ditch, and possibly a tower, in front of the gatehouse which could be used to further protect the entrance. The purpose of

14637-419: Was not always the case and there are instances where a motte existed on its own. "Motte" refers to the mound alone, but it was often surmounted by a fortified structure, such as a keep, and the flat top would be surrounded by a palisade . It was common for the motte to be reached over a flying bridge (a bridge over the ditch from the counterscarp of the ditch to the edge of the top of the mound), as shown in

14760-417: Was often the weakest part in a circuit of defences. To overcome this, the gatehouse was developed, allowing those inside the castle to control the flow of traffic. In earth and timber castles, the gateway was usually the first feature to be rebuilt in stone. The front of the gateway was a blind spot and to overcome this, projecting towers were added on each side of the gate in a style similar to that developed by

14883-422: Was still in use by the start of the 15th century, its structure having been maintained for four centuries. At the same time there was a change in castle architecture. Until the late 12th century castles generally had few towers; a gateway with few defensive features such as arrowslits or a portcullis; a great keep or donjon, usually square and without arrowslits; and the shape would have been dictated by

15006-425: Was the castle's main defensive enclosure, and the terms "bailey" and "enceinte" are linked. A castle could have several baileys but only one enceinte. Castles with no keep, which relied on their outer defences for protection, are sometimes called enceinte castles; these were the earliest form of castles, before the keep was introduced in the 10th century. A keep was a great tower or other building that served as

15129-510: Was the most common form of castle in Europe, everywhere except Scandinavia. While Britain, France, and Italy shared a tradition of timber construction that was continued in castle architecture, Spain more commonly used stone or mud-brick as the main building material. The Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century introduced a style of building developed in North Africa reliant on tapial , pebbles in cement, where timber

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