Trausnitz Castle
Trausnitz Castle is a medieval castle situated in Landshut, Bavaria in
Germany. It was the home of the Wittelsbach dynasty, and it served as
their ducal residence for Lower Bavaria from 1255-1503, and later as
hereditary rulers of the whole of Bavaria. The castle was founded in 1204
by Duke Ludwig I.
Castle Features
Knights' Hall
The Knights' Hall of Castle Trausnitz belongs to the main buildings of the
13th century and there were already around 1260/70. The room is 245 m² and
is separated in two naves, to four "Jochen" a nave. The constructions that
were used belong to the time period of the so called "Zisterziensergotik".
Today the Knights' Hall is used for festival banquets or for short
exhibitions.
Tower Terrace (Söller)
The "Loggia", already called so since 1493, was finished in the 16th
century. The Tower Terrace sports a great view of the city through the
round arcs. On the east side there is a stair tower. The wooden ceiling
with shaped rosettes is descended from the time of Wilhelm V. There is a
stone walled music platform on the south side of the room. The "Söller" is
today used for many different functions, and it holds a maximum of 99
people.
White Hall
The White Hall is on the first floor of the "Dürnitz" tract and is
directly above the Knights' Hall. The White Hall has probably existed
since the 15th century and was probably planned as a big ballroom. It
appears that the hall was never finished, because there are no traces of
paintings as usual for the castle at this time. The about 240 m² tall
room, which is two floors large, is today used for banquets, greetings,
concerts and lectures. The visitors can enjoy the great view over the
ancient city of Landshut.
Chamber of art and curiosities
A phenomenon in the Renaissance that proliferated Europe throughout the
16th and 17th centuries, the cabinet of curiosities was in essence a
personal collection of rare, unknown and marvelous objects. Popular,
visual and encyclopedic in their approach, these cabinets, or
Wunderkammern, included a diversity of specimens from both known and newly
discovered worlds. These collections of curious objects that are seemingly
not human in nature require the idea or application of human
characteristics and traits to describe their inhuman state.
The Trausnitz Chamber of Art and Curiosities which was arranged by Prince
Wilhelm in 1579 and then taken to Munich is a collection of 750 exhibits
including works of art, treasures from the Orient and curiosities typical
of the collections owned by rulers in the Renaissance era. It was reopened
in September 2004 as one part of the Bavarian National Museum. The chamber
is divided into four different themes. ARTIFICIALA-wondrous
legerdemains-contains sumptuous bronze and painting but also midget
carving of plum stones. NATURALIA-the wonder of nature-gets shown stuffed
animals, extraordinary horns, mussels and minerals. The hall of
EXOTICA-marvellousness from foreign countries-contains craft of corals,
ivory and nacre whereas SCIENTIFICA-scientific arranges the world-shows
scientific instruments of rational acquisition of the world in year 1600.
History
Trausnitz Castle is situated atop a hill above Landshut. Before the 16th
century, it had the same name as the town, Landshut, which translates into
"protector of the land". Previously, the castle guarded over the city and
the surrounding land. The size of the castle has remained almost the same
since Louis I of Bavaria in 1204. The castle was completed by the time of
Emperor Frederick II's visit in 1235.
During the first half of the 13th century, Trausnitz represented not only
the centre of imperial politics but also of Staufer culture. Landshut was
visited by famous minnesingers, including Walter von der Vogelweide and
Tannhäuser, during this period. The patronage of art by the Dukes of
Bavaria was so high that they sent for a sculptor from Strasbourg who
created jewellery for a sculpture that now stands in the Castle's
Burgkapelle.
The wealthy Duke of Landshut repeatedly renovated and expanded the
buildings in Burg Trausnitz during the 15th century. The Dürnitz was built
during this time. The outer defensive ring of walls were heightened and
extended for the defensive towers.
Duke Louis X of Bavaria furnished the castle in 1516 in the south German
Renaissance style, though few examples remain today. The arcades of the
courtyard were created 1568-1578 by Friedrich Sustris for Crown Prince
William. Many paintings in the Florentine style were added at this time,
but most were lost due to fire. Later, Prince Ferdinand Maria (1675-1679)
undertook restoration of the burnt paintings and decorated other rooms
with paintings.
During the 18th century, the castle was used a barracks and a prison for
noble prisoners. At the beginning of the 19th century it was used as a
hospital.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria ordered to decorate a new splendiferous private
apartment in the second floor of the prince's wing (1869-1873).
In 1961, a fire destroyed much of the interior decoration, including the
king's rooms.
