Reineberg
Reineberg | |
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The Heidkopf and the Reineberg | |
Height | 275.9 m above sea level (905 ft) |
Location | North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
Range | Wiehen Hills |
Coordinates | 52°17′40″N 8°37′42″E / 52.29431°N 8.62847°ECoordinates: 52°17′40″N 8°37′42″E / 52.29431°N 8.62847°E |
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Remarks | Ruins of Reineberg Castle |
The Reineberg is a hill on the Wiehen ridge, south of the town of Lübbecke. With a height of 275.9 m above sea level it is, from a topographical point of view, not a particularly impressive eminence in this part of the Wiehen Hills, because, in the immediate vicinity are considerably higher summits, such as the 320 m high Heidbrink just under 1 km to the south. East of the Reinberg on the other side of a valley bottom rises the Heidkopf, west of the Meesenkopf, on the summit of which there was once a fortification. 230 metres southwest of the summit lies the Wittekind Spring, that had a certain importance for the garrison of the castle at the summit, but today is just a small pond by a rock outcrop at the edge of a track. The Reineberg, which is the local hill for the town of Lübbecke, owes its significance to the fact that, until 1723, the year of its demolition, Reineberg Castle (German: Burg Reineberg or Reineburg) stood here.
History of Reineberg castle (Reineburg)
The origins of the country castle (Landesburg) of Reineberg are lost in legend. According to the episcopal chronicler of the town of Minden the founding of the castle goes back to Bishop Conrad I of Rüdenberg (1209–1237). Osnabrück sources report, however, that the Osnabrück bishop, Adolf von Tecklenburg (1216–1224), was the co-founder (Miterbauer).
In 1271 Reinberg Castle was first mentioned in the records. In the outgoing years of the 13th century the bishops of Osnabrück and Minden were the common owners of the castle. Reineberg Castle acted as a fortified base of power for the bishops of Minden. Their intent was to hold their own against the Bishop of Osnabrück, the counts of Tecklenburg and the lords (Edelherren) of Diepholz. Later their importance grew even more through the expansion of the governance of the territory. Reineberg Castle was, as mentioned, according to a treaty of 1306, initially in the common ownership of the neighbouring prince-bishops of Minden and Osnabrück.
In 1412 we find the knight (Ritter), Dietrich von Münchhausen, as the tenant of the castle, in a dispute with his landlord, Bishop Wulbrand, and the cathedral chapter of Minden, because he had enfeoffed the Reineberg without permission to Count Nicholas II of Tecklenburg. The bishop protested and besieged the castle. Tecklenburg troops advanced to do battle, but were driven off by Lübbecke's townsfolk with support from the seneschal (Drost) of Limberg, Allhard von dem Busche. Attempts by Tecklenburg, to gain ownership of the castle were thus foiled.
Reineberg Castle was turned into a strong fortress according to a contemporary account by the Minden cathedral canon, Tribbe, dating to the 15th century.
Gallery
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In the immediate vicinity of the summit a signpost points out the final section of the climb.
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From the woodland sports field (Waldsportplatz) in Lübbecke you can reach the summit in ca. 10–15 min heading due south
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Jurassic rock on the Reineberg
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The Reineburg is depicted today in the coat of arms of Hüllhorst
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Historic map with the location of Reineberg Castle
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Information board near the summit
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View of the Reineberg (left hill) from the neighbouring Wurzelbrink
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The Wittekind Spring not far from the summit