Castle foundation

Welcome to Weißensee Castle. According to the chronicle written around 1345 in the Reinhardsbrunn monastery, the Thuringian landgravine Jutta Claricia, wife of Ludwig II the Iron and half-sister of Friedrich I Barbarossa, “…begunde zu buwen bey dem Wissensee eynen bowngarten und eine burgk…”. So much for the legend.

Is it conceivable that a woman in the Middle Ages, even if she was a landgravine, had this decision-making power? Certainly not. The founder of the castle – according to historical research – was of course the landgrave, who took possession of this strategically very interesting hill in order to create an impregnable fortress in the middle of his domain. The castle is a day’s journey from Wartburg Castle near Eisenach and a day’s journey from Neuenburg Castle near Freyburg. It couldn’t be better. But the Count of Beichlingen objected to his property being practically annexed here. There is evidence of his complaint at a court meeting, which actually took place in Regensburg in 1168. Barbarossa, now caught between duty and family ties, decided that the Thuringian landgrave should ensure that the building work was stopped. Now there were already several days’ travel between Regensburg and Weißensee and before the landgravine received official information about the emperor’s decision, a secret courier had probably urged the construction of the castle to be rushed, so that in the end facts were created that a Beichling count, in confrontation with his feudal lords, no longer wanted to reverse.

However, there must have been a tree garden as described in the Reinhardsbrunn Chronicle, as some documents from the reign of the Ludovingians were actually authenticated in the tree garden at Weißensee. Tree gardens were considered a great luxury in the Middle Ages. They needed space – which was plentiful here – and were used for ladies to stroll around while singing minstrels’ songs and also to supply the kitchen with fresh fruit and herbs.