Imperial Palace in Kaiserwerth in Germany, resort of Dusseldorf
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  The ruins of the Imperial Palace, located in Keizerwerth, are one of the most popular tourist sites not only in Dusseldorf, but also in Germany. Around 700, a small monastery was founded on this site by Saint Svitbert. The land plot for the construction of the monastery was granted by the Frankish major Pepin II. At the time, it was a small artificial island located in the old arm of the Rhine. There was already a mott (castle) on the island, protected by a palisade and a moat. The castle was first mentioned in writing in 1016 documents. According to the documents, Henry the Second Saint grants the Kaiservert and the castle to the Count Palatine Ezzo of Lorraine as a sign of reconciliation. In 1047, after the death of Otto II, son of Ezzo, the castle again becomes the property of the crown. During the reign of Henry the Third, the Black Castle expanded significantly, but not a single building of that century has survived to this day. In 1174, the customs office from the city of Tiel was moved by Emperor Frederick The first Barbarossa in the Kaiserwerth. At the same time, the emperor issued a decree on the construction of a powerful fortress in the Kaiserwerth. The construction of the fortress was completed in 1193. The ruins that can be seen today date from that era. At that time, the fortress complex consisted of a three-storey palace, the 'Kleverturm' tower. At the beginning of the 13th century, the fortress was repeatedly besieged. In 1215, Adolf III von Berg made the sixth attempt to storm the fortress. The siege lasted four months, after which the garrison of the fortress surrendered. In 1247, the fortress was subjected to another assault – William II besieged Frederick II for a whole year. As a result, at the end of food supplies, the fortress fell. From the end of XIII and up to 1424, the fortress became an object of mortgage. In the middle of the 16th century, construction work was carried out in the fortress. During the War of the Palatinate Heritage, the fortress was also sieged, during which a massive fire broke out in the palace. In 1692, the Archbishop of Cologne became the owner of the castle, after which restoration work was carried out in the castle. At the beginning of the 18th century, during the War of Spanish Succession, the castle was completely destroyed and was never rebuilt. In 1717, restoration work was carried out on St. Swithbert's Church. In the XIX – In the 20th century, the ruins of the fortress complex were used as building material for the construction of structures in the Kaiserwerth. In August 1929, the Kaiserwerth district became part of Dusseldorf. The castle was declared a national memorial during the Third Reich. In the 1960s and 70s, archaeological work was carried out here, after which the ruins of the fortress were mothballed, being today a protected state monument and popular tourist attraction. We also recommend reading Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral of Mesquita (Mezquita de Cordoba) in Spain, resort of Cordoba Topic: Imperial Palace in Kaiserwerth in Germany, resort of Dusseldorf. |
