Trifels Castle

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Trifels Castle

Trifels and part of the rock

The copies of the Imperial Regalia at Trifels

The hall of Trifels Castle

Trifels Castle (German: Reichsburg Trifels (literally translated: Imperial Castle Trifels)) is a medieval castle at an elevation 500m near the small town of Annweiler, in the Palatinate, Germany. It is located on one peak of a three-way split red sandstone rock. (The name Trifels means threefold rock.) The Trifels Castle is on the peak Sonnenberg (literally translated: sun mountain), and on both of the other two rock elevations there are castle ruins: Anebos and Münz.

Castle Trifels, where replicas of the Imperial Regalia (Reichskleinodien) of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation can be viewed, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Palatinate.

First mentioned in a document of 1081, in the 12th and 13th centuries it was a place of safekeeping for the Imperial Regalia of the Salian and Hohenstaufen Emperors. The castle is most famous as the place where the English King Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) was imprisoned after his return from the crusades (a period of three weeks is well documented: 31 March to 19 April 1193).

It is characterized by a large well tower outside the ring wall, linked to the castle by a bridge.

[edit] Timetable

Rise

1081 First mentioned in a deed of donation
1113 Imperial Castle
1125 Safekeeping of the Imperial Regalia by Duke Frederick II of Swabia after the death of Emperor Henry V.
approx. 1190 Construction of the main tower
1193 (-94?) Imprisonment of the English King Richard the Lionheart
1194 Initial point of the campaign of Emperor Henry VI against the Normans and afterwards the hoard of the treasure of the Normans.
1208 Safekeeping of the Imperial Regalia by Chancellor Konrad III of Scharfenberg after the assassination of King Philip of Swabia
1219 The award of municipal laws to the settlement Annweiler with the award of the right to mint and issue coins (for the benefit of Trifels)
approx. 1230 Second building phase of the palace, construction of the well tower and start of construction of the ring wall
1241 Trifels is one of the most profitable possessions of the crown.
1246-98 Safekeeping of the Imperial Regalia

Decline

With the end of the Staufer Dynasty in the 13th century, Castle Trifels lost importance.

from 1310 Forfeiting of the Imperial Castle to changing territorial lords
from 1400 Continued decline of significance
1410 Transfer to the dukedom Palatinate-Zweibrücken
1602 Destruction by a lightning strike; abandonment and step by step decay of the castle

Restoration

1841 Beginning of restoration by the Kingdom of Bavaria
1866 Founding of the Trifels association
1935 Excavation in front of the main tower
1937 Assignment of the Bavarian prime minister Ludwig Siebert to upgrade the castle to a "national consecration site"
from 1938 New building work for several years at the palace. The new palace is not a historically realistic reconstruction
1954/55 Construction of the first castellan house and addition of the ring walls
1960 Construction of the second castellan house
1964/66 Enlargement of the main tower
1973/74 Collapse and rebuilding of the northern ring wall