Introduction

My Romantic Rhine Images: Imagekind

In October, 2007, my wife, Karen, and I took a Peter Deilmann cruise on the MV Casanova along the Rhine-Main-Danube Waterway. We commenced at Amsterdam and ended at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest. One afternoon we travelled the Romantic Rhine (also known as the Middle Rhine, Heroic Rhine, Rhine Gorge and Rhine Valley). The day was dull and misty, so it was hard to obtain crisp photos. To further aggravate the situation, I was taking photos on a moving boat with a hand-held Fuji Finepix Z1. When I arrived home and examined the images, I found them to be somewhat uninspiring. Using my experience with PhotoShop, I post-processed the pictures and uploaded them to flickr. They looked a lot better. Over the past six months, I’ve also worked on them with a number of other filters to give them a painterly feel. They have been posted for sale on Imagekind, and I will re-post them to flickr. The following commentary is meant to place the images in perspective. But first, it is important to understand a bit about the Romantic Rhine.

The Romantic Rhine is a sixty-five kilometer stretch of water between Bingen and Koblenz that is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the Rhine formed the eastern boundary of Roman Gaul, the French often claimed it as an eastern boundary. To the Merovingian and Carolingian rulers, it was part of a central passageway between Western Europe and Italy. In 870 AD, it became the transportation axis of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Romantic Rhine features many castles which provide a glimpse of Germany’s military and romantic past. They were created by powerful rulers as both defensive works and customs houses, and most of the construction was carried out by serfs. Tolls were exacted along the Rhine from 800 AD to 1800 AD. Secular and ecclesiastical lords, who held lands from the Holy Roman Emperor, could collect tolls as long as they held imperial authorization. Issues concerning the establishment of toll stations included satisfying local power structures, deciding number and locations of stations, determining distance between stations, building custom station defenses and establishing allowable fees. Tolls could be paid in silver or in-kind.

Robber barons, who charged higher-than-allowed tolls, and who operated without imperial authority, first appeared in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. They were most brazen during a disruptive interregnum (1254-1273) between the end of Hohenstaufen rule and the beginning of Habsburg rule. These Rhine lords seized ships and cargoes, and even engaged in kidnapping for ransom. The Rheinischer Bund (Rhine League), which consisted of nobility, knights, churchmen and Rhine towns, sought to restore law and order. Commencing in 1254 AD, the league destroyed robber baron strongholds and hanged the offenders. The league’s methods were continued by Emperor Rudolf of Hapsburg and his successors, who effectively ended the outlawry. Although robber barons reappeared during the Hundred Year’s War in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, their operations were never as extensive as during the interregnum.

Both French advances during the Thirty Years' War (1618-48) and the campaigns of Louis XIV in the Nine Years War(1689-99)stripped Germany of its Rhine dominance. In the late eighteenth century, French Revolutionary forces further consolidated France’s gains, and Napoleon captured northwestern Germany as well as the Elbe and Neisse rivers during the early nineteenth century. There was a backlash of German nationalism expressed by E.M. Arndt, who in 1813 wrote, "The Rhine is Germany's river, not its boundary." But after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the Congress of Vienna ceded Alsace to France, thus ensuring France possessed a Rhine presence.

Goethe's journey down the Rhine in 1774 effectively marks the beginning of German Romanticism when Rhine castles underwent significant restorations, most of which included strong Gothic Revival elements. Also during this period, European gentry, artists and writers undertook grand tours to work, to visit the spas and to soak up local wines and lore.

Under Emperor Napoleon III, France again tried to seize Rhine lands, but after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, France lost both its Rhine bid and Alsace. She regained Alsace after World War I.

After World War II there was a move toward economic and political union of the Rhine states.

The Romantic Rhine possesses its own special micro climate which fosters wine-growing, and Riesling is the area’s most famous offering. The river runs through steep hillsides with densely forested tops, and is narrow with serpentine turns. The Lorelei, which is a huge slate rock, is located at the river’s most constricted and dangerous section. Picturesque towns, constrained by hillsides and the river, exhibit architecture ranging from early medieval times to the present.

Just a note before we start: Information on specific people, places, movements, wars, diplomacy, geography, history and institutions is readily available in online, and I have posted links to numerous websites in the last section of this blog. Also, people interested in Rhine legends should consult the following works that are also available online. There are often several versions of each tale.

1. Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine, by Lewis Spence (Project Gutenberg or Internet Sacred Text Archive)
2. Legends of the Rhine (c1895), by Hélène Adeline Guerber (American Libraries Internet Archive)
3. Legends of the Rhine and of the Low Countries, by Thomas Colley Grattan (Google Books)
4. The Rhine from Cologne to Mainz, by Joseph Snowe (Google Books)
5. Legends of the Rhine, by William Ruland (Kellscraft.com) (http://www.kellscraft.com/LegendsRhine/legendsrhinecontents.html

Now, let’s examine the sites one by one, starting with the Maus Türm at Bingen.

Maüs Turm

My Maüs Turm Images: Imagekind
Maüs Turm 1
Maüs Turm 2

Near Bingen sits an island tower called Maüs Turm. According to legend, it was built by Hatto, the heartless Archbishop of Mainz, to extract tolls from travellers and commerce on the Rhine. The legend claims that the name “Maüs Turm” (“mouse tower”) stems from events in the following story. After a bad harvest, the poor people starved, while Hatto exacted inflated prices for the great stores of grain he held in his granary. One evening, a crowd of beggars appeared at the palace door and implored Hatto to give them food. He agreed, and led them to the granary. When the beggars entered the granary, Hatto locked the door and set the building on fire. He stood back, and when he heard the beggars’ screams, he called out, "Listen! How the mice are squeaking among the corn. This eternal begging is at an end at last. May the mice bite me if it is not true!" Suddenly thousands of mice burst from the granary and began to attack Hatto. He fled for safety to his island tower, but the mice followed and attacked again. He called to the devil for help, and offered his soul if the devil would intervene. The devil let the mice devour Hatto, after which he seized his soul.

It is more likely that Maüs Turm was built in the thirteenth or fourteenth century by the Archbishops of Mainz, and that the name comes either from the word “maut” (toll) or from the term “muse” (watch). It was likely a collecting point for the toll castle at Ehrenburg as well as a watchtower to warn the castle of impending attack. It was rebuilt in the neo-gothic style between 1856 and 1858, and remained in service as a signal tower until 1974.

Assmannshausen

Assmannshausen, a famous red wine-growing centre in southwestern Hesse, is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis region. It differs from much of the Romantic Rhine, since it produces mainly Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) grapes.

My Assmanshausen Images on Imagekind
Assmanshausen 1
Assmanshausen 2

In 1108, Ruthard, Archbishop of Mainz, provided land for a vineyard to monks at Disibodenberg/Nahe Monastery.

Assmannshausen boasts both water and mud spas. For several centuries, inhabitants mined manganese, slate and quartzite. During the nineteenth century, Assmannshausen was a vacation destination for writers, poets, artists, composers and the nobility

Perhaps a mixture of fact and legend, local lore tells of attempts to save the souls of the robber barons. Rudolph of Habsburg burned their castles and hanged the offenders. Relatives of the hanged retrieved the bodies by night and secretly buried them in consecrated ground, thus hoping to mitigate the punishment the barons would receive in hell. Wood from the gallows and stone from the destroyed castles were used to build a chapel near Assmannshausen. At the first service in the chapel, the Archbishop of Mainz absolved the dead and re-interred their bodies near the chapel. For many years, prayers were offered for the souls of the robber barons.

Burg Reichenstein

My Reichenstein Images on Imagekind
Reichenstein 1
Reichenstein 2
Reichensten 3
Reichenstein 4
Reichenstein 5

Burg Reichenstein is located at Trechtlinghausen near Bingen. Foundations date from the early eleventh century. Ludwig the Pious gifted the region to the abbey "Kornelimuenster". During the late twelfth century, the castellan was Rheinbodo. His son, Gerhard, ravaged the area until he was deposed. In 1241, Philipp von Hohenfels, also a vicious outlaw, became castellan. To thwart Philipp, the Archbishop of Mainz and the Rhenish town association destroyed Reichenstein in 1253. Philipp von Hohenfels promised good conduct, but strengthened Reichenstein and pillaged as before. The Archbishop of Mainz excommunicated him. In 1277, Dietrich von Hohenfels inherited the castle and continued his father’s depravity. When Rudolf of Habsburg became emperor, he commenced a campaign to be rid of the Rhine robber barons, and in 1282 he besieged Reichenstein, starving the garrison until it surrendered. In 1290, Reichenstein was burned, but Dietrich escaped. The king forbade Reichenstein’s rebuilding, but it was restored anyway. In 1344, Ludwig IV awarded Reichenstein to the Archbishop of Mainz, who leased it to Kuno von Falkenstein. During an Episcopal dispute in 1396, contra-bishop Gottfried von Leiningen took refuge at Reichenstein. With the advent of firearms Reichenstein fell into decay. The castle changed hands several time in the nineteenth century, and in 1899, Baron Kirsch-Puricelli commenced a restoration based both on old foundation drawings and on views of the castle from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Reichenstein was sold in 1987, and parts of the outer castle became a hotel. The centerpiece is a museum.

One of the castle legends concerns Kuno of Reichenstein, who loved Gerda of Rheinstein, and who gave her many gifts although he was poor. He gave her a beautiful Limousin horse, and she promised to be his bride. Kuno sent his wealthy old uncle, Kurt, to ask Gerda’s father for permission to marry. Kurt was unsavoury and disliked the virtuous Kuno. Kurt visited Gerda’s father, but requested Gerda for himself. Gerda’s father extolled Kurt’s virtues to Gerda, but Gerda was distraught. She professed her love for Kuno. Her father became furious that Gerda should wish to marry such a poor suitor. He ordered that she marry Kurt the next day, but she resolved to defy her father’s command. Crowds gathered for the ceremony, but Gerda did not dismount. When Kurt offered assistance, the Limousin bolted along the riverbank. Kurt gave chase. As Gerda spurred the horse on, Kuno opened his drawbridge at Reichenstein. Gerda and the Limousin clattered on to the bridge as Kurt slipped, fell and was killed. Gerda and Kuno married the next day.

There is a legend concerning Dietrich von Hohenfels, who, when captured and condemned to death by Rudolf of Hapsburg, begged the king to spare his nine sons. The king lined up Dietrich’s sons, and told Dietrich that if his decapitated body could rise and walk by his sons, they would be spared. Dietrich’s body completed the task, and the king kept his promise. To this day, Reichenstein is haunted by Dietrich’s headless ghost.

Burg Rheinstein

My Rheinstein Image at Imagekind

Burg Rheinstein sits on a rock outcrop between Bingerbrück and Trechtingshausen. First mentioned around 900AD, its early names included Vogtsburg and Feitsburg. In the thirteenth century it became a customs post. In 1279, it came into the possession of Kuno von Falkenstein, Archbishop of Trier. Between 1282 and 1286, it was occupied by Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph von Habsburg, who used it as a base for passing judgment on the local robber barons. He established the “Noble Knighthood”, and changed the castle name to Konigstein. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, the castle was leased by the Archbishopric of Mainz, and was used to protect the archbishopric’s territories. It fell into ruin after 1572, when it was declared unprofitable by Anton von Wiltberg, Chamberlain in Mainz. In 1823, it was sold to Prince Friedrich of Prussia, and between 1825 and 1829 it was rebuilt in neo-gothic style by architect, Claudius von Lassaulx. In 1975, it was sold by Barbara, Duchess of Mecklenburg to opera singer, Hermann Hecher, whose family, along with the "Freunde der Burg Rheinstein e.V.", continues to conserve it. It supports a collection of armour and sixteenth century art, and also boasts a drawbridge and portcullis. In the "Burgunder-Garden” is a grape vine that is five hundred years old. The Knight's Hall contains beautiful stained glass windows and reliefs.

Niederheimbach

My Image of Niederheimbach at Imagekind

Niederheimbach in the Heimbach valley is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. First settlements appeared in the Neolithic period (1000--1800 BC). The Celts inhabited the area around 450BC, and the Romans occupied the area between the first and fourth centuries AD. The Heimbach stream was first mentioned in 955, and the village of Heigenbach was recorded in 1059. The town flourished until the http://www.pipeline.com/~cwa/TYWHome.htm (1618-1648). It was burned and looted in 1639, and was scourged by plague (1625 and 1666). In the eighteenth century its main revenue came from wine and navigation. It was a main centre for Rhine pilots. In 1794, the area was taken over by France and incorporated into the Bacharach prefecture of Koblenz. Under terms of the Congress of Vienna (1815) it was awarded to the Prussian Lower Rhine. From 1830 to 1832, and between 1892 to 1901 the fairway section of the river was widened and deepened, although passage remained problematic until 1974. The Märchenhain fairytale-themed park opened in 1926, but for many years was left in a state of neglect until a private firm undertook its restoration at a new location in 1997. In 1999, the assets of the Märchenhain were turned over to Niederheimbach

Fürstenberg

My Images of Fürstenberg at Imagekind
Fürstenberg 1
Fürstenberg 2

Fürstenberg is located in Rheindiebach, a district of Oberdiebach in the Landkreis Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate. The castle stands above Castle Rheindiebach in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley near Bingen. In 1219 CE, Burg Fürstenberg was commissioned by Engelbert II of Cologne in order both to secure the archbishopric’s property at Bacharach, and to serve as an administration centre for toll collection. In 1243, after the cessation of fighting between the Electors of the Palatinate, Burg Fürstenberg was given as a hereditary fief to the Count Palatine of the Rhine. The tower was added in 1500 to support the use of firearms. Spain captured the castle in 1620, and Sweden captured it in 1632. It was destroyed during the Nine Years’ War in 1689. In 1844, Luise von Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the widow of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, unsuccessfully tried to acquire the castle. Her son, Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, obtained it in 1845, and presented it to his wife, who commissioned architect, C. de Jong, to expand it in the neo-Gothic style. The project was never carried out. In 1910, Fürstenberg was sold to the Wasum family of Bacharach. In 1993, it was purchased from Gernot Stelter Rheindiebach, and is now undergoing conservation.

It is surrounded by vineyards, and features a twenty-five meter round tower as well as ten meter high walls. Still visible are parts of the gatehouse and some old plaster on the walls. It was secured by a moat and was accessible by a bridge and gate. There is a lovely view of the Rhine from the left of the terrace, and of Bacharach to the right. Southeast of the castle are Ruine Nollig, Lorch and the Rebhänge of the Rheingau.

A legend concerning Burg Fürstenberg goes as follows: Lambert of Fürstenberg married Wiltrud, a daughter of the Florsheim family. The couple had a child. Shortly after the birth, a young, beautiful, evil woman named Luckharde became a ward of the family. Luckharde seduced Lambert, and made plans to replace Wiltrud as lady of the castle. One night Luckharde slipped into Wiltrude’s chamber and smothered her. Lambert never suspected foul play, and after the grieving period, he married Luckharde. The evil woman hated the young child, and handed him over to an old crone to be nursed elsewhere in the castle. One night this old woman awoke to see a female form bending over the cradle and tending the child. When Luckharde was told of the incident, she feared that Wiltrud was not truly dead, and decided to test the story’s veracity for herself. She took the crone’s place in the bed by the child. She brought with her a dagger, and waited to see what would transpire. At midnight the female again appeared, and tended the baby as before.
Afterward the apparition approached Luckharde’s bed. It was indeed the ghost of Wiltrud. When Luckharde tried to stab the ghost, the dagger only sliced through air. As Wiltrud disappeared, as voice cried, "Do penance for thy sins!" The next morning, when searching for his wife, Lambert found a piece of parchment on which Luckharde confessed all. She retired to a nunnery, and Lambert became a hermit.