European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                E r m a n y medieval Castle has storied past by fhe Batman staff writer the Middle Ages in what we now Call Germany were after All a civilized time. Anyone who built a Castle was considered a lord. Anyone who washed clothes More than twice a year was considered Rich. Castles crowned hilltops and for hundreds of years princes who lived in them battled cajoled and married their daughters off to those in other castles hoping to better their fortunes. The Veste fortress Coburg is among relatively few which were not destroyed by French canno neers or 20th Century . Occupied by the Well clothed for most of its written history. It stands on a Rise in the rolling Hills Between the Thuringer Forest and the upper Valley of the main River about 55 Miles North of Nurnberg. Its weather or toothed stones however give Little indication of the passions that once built and defended its mighty Walls. The exiled polish Queen Richera donated the properties to her brother Hermann archbishop of Cologne in 1056, according to the oldest written mention of the people who lived there. The Castle on the Mountain however had existed Long before As an important Stop on the Trade route from Nurnberg to Leipzig. It was not until the 16th Century that much was recorded about its residents. Two Brothers with the colourful names Friedrich the Wise and Johann the constant apparently offered its Protection to its most famous visitor Martin Luther. A one time augustinian Friar whose writings had been a theoretical Thorn in the established Church s Side for More than a decade Luther holed up at the Veste in 1530. The Royal offer of room and Board put Luther As close to the proceedings of the Augsburg Imperial diet As he dared go. He was at the time already excommunicated by the Pope and under Imperial ban. From the Veste he took an Active part in the negotiations a landmark in the reformation with letters delivered by a messenger on horseback. In a Stone building called the Stein erne it Senate he continued to translate the Bible into German and essentially standardized what became modern German. But All that was before the thirty years War a religious conflict from 1618-1648 that ended up As a european Power struggle. In 1632 the imposing Imperial army under Wallenstein Laid siege to the Castle for seven Days. Coburg stood Only to surrender three years later after a second Battle lasting five months. By the mid-17th Century the tools of political Battles turned away from Gunpowder to diplomacy. It became in Vogue to move Royal households away from Dank castles and into elegant town houses or palaces. The Coburg Dukes followed suit commissioning Fine 14 Stripe Magazine november 18, 1993 buildings in the City below. Political and private inheritance disputes characterized most of the next centuries until the Dukes of Coburg joined the German federation in 1815. About a dozen years and a few land trades later the official duchy title became Saxe Coburg Gotha under the influence of Duke Ernst i. Ernst was a worldly traveler who liked to attend court in Paris and relished Fine arts. It was the age of romanticism and eyes turned Back to the Days of armoured suits and glory castles. Much of what is seen on the Veste today was restored during that time. Since Duke Ernst s generation the duchy of Coburg has been noted for connections to the most powerful Royal families in Europe. Ernst s Niece England s Queen Victoria married Albert the younger son of the Coburg Duke. Coburg kith and Kin filled nearly All the Royal houses in Europe including Greece Spain Portugal Italy Romania and Russia during the late 19th and Early 20th centuries. The duchy had Long been Bent on creative matchmaking. In european High society the House of Coburg became known As a kind of Royal family stud farm. Today a visit to the Coburg Castle begins by crossing a Stone Bridge and entering through a baroque Arch where the drawbridge once stood. A stroll along the path through another Arch leads past pries of Metal balls once hurled by catapults Over the parapet onto attacking armies. The Carl Eduard Bau a museum is built on the site of the Stein erne Kem Enate and dominates the courtyard. The highlight of a visit is a walk through the rooms where Luther stayed for six months. The first a dark heavy beamed room sits nearly empty except for the gaze of a portrait of Luther. The second is graced with a life size portrait by Lucas cranach the younger signed and dated by the courtly artist for hire. On either Side ate two originals by Lucas cranach the elder the Man who handed Down the business to his son. A striking Lucretia painted by the elder appears in a Small Hall. Nude and thinly veiled the woman is portrayed As the 1518 Ideal of wealth and Beauty White and plump the attributes resulting from being finely clothed and Well fed. Along the stairway works by the master Tilman Riemenschneider will Delight those who love Wood carving. Beside an elaborately decorated banquet Hall and Hunting room special displays include one of the most significant medieval weapons collections in Germany. The Best sunday going to jousting Armor glistens in one Hall. It includes one with a helmet with a visor shaped like a dog s snout. People could get really ugly in 1400, apparently. The collection also includes a 6-foot tiled stove the Only late gothic cast Iron one surviving in Germany. It was an important feature in a culture in which the average lifespan ended near age 30. In medieval times it was All a body could do to work through the Spring summer and fall. Winters people kept warm and survived. A Stone Bridge at Coburg Castle stands where the drawbridge used to be. Travellers tips is photos by Effie Batman a medieval chalice. This Chest is part of the Castle s collection. A child plays on Cannon below a Relief of Martin Luther. This medieval Armor is displayed in the Veste Coburg. Coburg is located in the rolling Hills on the Southern slope of the Thuringer Forest near the old German East West Border. The franconian farmlands still have Field chapels or crosses to invite blessings for a Good Harvest. To get there take autobahn 73 North toward Bamberg and follow the signs to Coburg via Highway 4. Along the Way consider stopping at the Little Village of Lahm charming with its leaning half timbered houses and twisty alleys. All signs Point to the Veste one of the largest fortress castles Ever built in Germany. Several buildings House some of the most important collections of their kind in Europe. They include valuable paintings sculpture handicrafts coins autographs engravings and weapons. The City of Coburg is a Lovely City in which to spend an afternoon or at least enough time to savor a Coburg sausage roasted Over Smokey Pine Cones. The 400-year-old Ehrenburg Palace is the Center of the Royal residence in Palace Square. Most of the staterooms May be viewed on a guided tour. A statue of favorite son Prince Albert Consort to England s Queen Victoria stands in the Middle of the Market Square. The tourist Bureau is at her Gasse 4, about a Block from where Albert stands. Other Sites and towns to visit while in the area include Rosenau Castle the summer residence for the Dukes and the Birthplace of Albert. Staf Felstein the location of the pilgrimage Church of the 14 saints the Vierzen Heiliger Kirche. The Rococo Structure is one of the most distinctive of the period. It was built by Balthasar Neumann and commemorates the visions of a Young Shepherd in 1445. Rodent Al the Birthplace of sister Maria Innocentia Hummel the nun whose sketches inspired the figurines of children popular with american collectors. The Goebel ceramics company and store is located there. Neustadt a town famous for the manufacturing of dolls and its doll museum. Just beyond it is the former East German City of Sonnenberg for those who want to take a glimpse of the communist Experiment. Lichtenfels famous for its Baske making. Klumbach brewery town famous for its Sharp Strong Pils Beer and its bitter dark Brown Beers. It is said to brew the strongest Beer in the world. It is the Birthplace of Lucas cranach. For More information about the area Contact the Coburg tourist Bureau Telephone 09561-74180. Effie Bathon november 10, 1993 stripes Magazine 15