Ortenburg

Evidence of an Iron Age castle

Since 1994, smaller archaeological measures have repeatedly been carried out in the castle area during construction, allowing researchers to gain a small insight into the history of the building. Although no building features were uncovered, cultural layers and storage pits containing Lusatian pottery were unearthed. The wares were of a higher quality and a relatively large proportion had polishes. The finds indicate intensive use of the site in 800-600 BC, during the late Bronze Age and the early pre-Roman Iron Age. With an internal area of 100 x 80 m, Ortenburg Castle is roughly the same size as the site on the opposite Protschenberg, where another castle complex was located at around the same time.

Image Source T. Westphalen 2010, 96.

The castle in the early Middle Ages

From the 9th century AD at the latest, the rocky spur above the Spree was revisited and fortified with a castle complex. Early medieval pottery finds and wooden remains from this phase indicate a date around 881-920 AD. The site is first mentioned in writing by Thietmar von Merseburg as civitas Budusin in his account of the dispute over the Mark of Meissen and the conquest of Meissen Castle in 1002 by the Polish king and later Bohemian duke Bolesław I Chobry. After the wooden castle complex of the Milzeners was presumably razed to the ground, he - officially enfeoffed with the Milzenerland in 1002 - established a new sovereignty on the castle hill. The name "Orthenburgk" was first documented around 1405.

Image Source U. Wohmann, Foto ©LfA 2009.

Emergency excavations 1994

In 1994, the southern enclosing wall and several other parts of Ortenburg Castle were found to be in acute danger of collapsing. A section of the enclosing wall in the east had already collapsed in 1984. The subsequent safety measures and ground interventions made the first archaeological emergency excavations necessary. Most of the finds unearthed during this work dated from the 11th-15th centuries. There was also evidence of dense development with streets and wooden buildings from the 11th-13th centuries. The archaeological findings reached a depth of up to 5 meters. The former surface level was probably originally at the level of the "Schlossgraben" road, but it has risen by an average of 3 m due to numerous rubble leveling operations over the past thousand years.

Image Source OA 14070, 485, Foto ©LfA 1985.

Excavations 1999-2001

In 1999-2001, a larger area of 50 x 10 m in the interior was examined for the first time. Among other things, a west-east oriented plank walkway from the 12th century was uncovered, which was preserved over a length of approximately 10 meters. Several layers of beams, planks and logs served as a base. Immediately to the south of this, the remains of wooden buildings were discovered during the excavation work. They were based on a rectangular sill beam construction with floors made of flat wooden planks. From the 14th and 15th centuries, the buildings were underpinned with simple stone foundations. One of the buildings from this period is the castle water tower, which juts out towards the Protschenberg on the west side of the spur. It served both as a defensive tower and to ensure the castle's water supply. A well was built into its base. This lower part of the tower probably dates back to the early 14th century.

Image Source J. Meffert, Foto ©LfA 2001.

A fire incident

Around 1400, a major fire destroyed large parts of the castle complex. This is indicated by a massive burnt layer of brick-covered clay, red-hot stones and the charred remains of a wooden structure. The findings examined were probably the remains of a wooden tower that had been erected on a stone foundation. A further foundation was found on both sides. In comparison with the written records, these could be the three towers that King Konrad III ordered the villages of the Bishop of Meissen to build on the castle in 1144.

Image Source J. Meffert, Foto ©LfA 2001. J. Meffert, Foto ©LfA 2001.

Renovations under King Matthias Corvinus

Towards the end of the 15th century, Ortenburg Castle was rebuilt and extended by the then sovereign and Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490). Between 1483-1486, he had the three-winged main building erected on the east side of Ortenburg Castle. The Matthias Tower, built in late Gothic style in 1486, extended the castle area to the north-east and from then on formed the main entrance to the castle. Above its portal is a 9 m high and around 4 m wide sandstone relief depicting Matthias Corvinus (REX MATHIAS) under a canopy. In addition, the shield wall located on the prehistoric rampart in the northern part of the castle grounds was almost completely removed. The previous buildings in the area of the castle courtyard were also demolished and the resulting courtyard area was partly paved.

Image Source U. Wohmann, Foto ©LfA 2009.

Conversions of the early modern period

Originally, the castle complex was separated from the rest of the town by an approximately 5 m high rampart made of a massive clay fill and a deep moat. However, the latter was filled in in the 17th century. It can still be seen today as a slight depression in the relief. The last significant conversion of the castle took place in 1781/1782, when the salt magazine was built on the north side, which today houses the Sorbian Museum. Opposite this, a provisions storehouse was created, which today houses the castle theater. In the same year, a granary was built along the castle wall. Almost all of the Ortenburg's battlements were demolished during the reconstruction work towards the end of the 18th century. At the same time, a new entrance to the castle was built on the south-east side.

Image Source R. Heynowski, Foto ©LfA 2016.

Finds from Ortenburg Castle

Pottery from various periods (pictured: medieval storage jar), animal bones and remains of iron are among the most common finds at Ortenburg Castle. However, there are also some special finds that stand out from the rest of the material: for example, a particularly beautiful, cylindrical millefiori bead was found in the area of today's puppet theater within an irregular, sandy, grey backfill during the excavations. It consists of a multicolored glass mass and dates back to the 11th - 13th century. The exceptionally beautiful piece is available as a 3D scan. A similar find is the nut of a crossbow, carved from bone and decorated with grooves. The find, which came to light during the excavations in the inner courtyard, dates to between 1150 and 1250 AD.

Image Source J. Meffert, Foto ©LfA 1999.

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