The Marienberg Fortress
The
Marienberg Fortress is situated on the other side of the River Main
in an elevated position with a good view over the city.
It is one of the previous residences of the Würzburg Prince Bishops.
The hill was fortified in the days of the Celts centuries before Christ and then built out by the Franks.
The Franks built a church which, after many reconstructions, eventually became one of the first churches of the bishops of Würzburg. It was the resting-place of the rediscovered St Kilian and his matryred colleagues until the new cathedral was built.
The construction of the current fortress really began in the 13th century, during the time of the disputes between rulers and the Catholic church and the split of the church into two factions.
Not always popular with the locals, the Prince Bishops decided that it may be safer to put a river and an easily-defensible hill between them and the residents of Würzburg. The Prince Bishops lived on the Marienberg for nearly five centuries until the construction of the Würzburg Residence Palace.
The German Peasants' War in the 16th century - a war led by economic inequity and emerging religious differences - showed the foresight of the bishops, who were forced to barricade themselves successfully in the fortress from the peasants' army (actually the "peasants" were often led by merchants and other middle-class leaders).
The fortress was actually captured by a Swedish Army in the Thirty
Years' War (another
Europe-wide war stemming from religious conflict). Following this and
even with the expense of the Würzburg Residence to pay for, Prince
Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn still found time and
funds to expand the fortress walls.
When the Bavarian state took control of the fortress in the 19th century, it still wasn't completely protected from wars. In a brief campaign by the Prussians against Bavaria, the fortress was shelled and badly damaged by the resulting fires. And the damage caused by the 1945 American bombing raid was severe, in common with many other of the city's historic buildings. Restoration work was finally completed in 1990.
The walk up to the fortress - either through vineyards or the gardens - has
some lovely views over Würzburg. Access to the courtyards is free, but the
two museums have an entrance fee. The Main-Franconian Museum (Mainfränkische
Museum) houses exhibits from the region, while the Princes' Building Museum
(Furstenbaumuseum) concentrates on the history of Prince Bishops.
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de
Website: www.mainfraenkisches-museum.de
