Oybin Castle

The beginning of the castle

The name of Oybin is of Slavic origin and is derived from "Moibin", which means "place of Mojba". However, Slavic pottery fragments from the castle grounds or the nearby house grounds could not be assigned to any building finds. There is therefore no evidence of a Slavic predecessor fortification or settlement on the hill. In the 13th century, the lords of Zittau from the Bohemian noble family of Hronowice took possession of the Zittau region and thus also of Oybin. To the west of the upper gate tower are the ruins of the so-called residential tower of the Lords of Zittau (left in the picture), probably the oldest building in the castle complex. Today, the tower, which dates back to the first half of the 13th century, is used as a museum.

Image Source S. Krabath, Foto ©LfA 2015.

The "robber castle" Oybin

A Ztenko von Moibin was first mentioned in medieval written sources in 1290. The first fortifications were probably built at the beginning of the 13th century, half a century later the complex was initially extended and later expanded into a castle under Henry of Leipa. The "Leipaburg", situated on the south-western mountain spur, reverted to the Bohemian crown in 1346. Under Emperor Charles IV, the former "robber castle" of Oybin was finally transformed into a representative complex.

Image Source R. Heynowski, Foto ©LfA 2016.

Castle gates and buildings

The two building complexes, the castle and the monastery, are both located on the southern part of the mountain massif. In the Middle Ages, access to the complex was from the south-western foot of the mountain via an outer bailey and formerly three gates to the castle courtyard. A source by Bohuslav Balbinus (1621-1688) reports that even then, reference was made to a stone on which Emperor Charles IV is said to have rested, exhausted from the steep climb. On the way from the middle to the upper gate, a flight of steps leads past the servants' quarters, the small cistern and the bathhouse. The upper gate and the adjoining defensive wall date from the 13th and early 14th centuries. To the west of the upper gate are the ruins of the Amtshaus, which dates back to the time when the castle was converted into an imperial residence and housed the captains.

Image Source J. Lipták, Foto Kaiserhaus ©LfA 2001.

The imperial house

The most imposing building in the castle is the Imperial House, next to the residential tower. The two-storey building was erected in 1364 in the Gothic style for Emperor Charles IV. In later times, when the complex was just a monastery, the Kaiserhaus served as a refectory for the monks. It boasted two hot-air heating systems. In addition, a valuable tiled stove with green glazed and polychrome tiles depicting figurative motifs was installed at the beginning of the 16th century. Unfortunately, the heating system and stove were severely damaged during the fire in 1577 and fell down to lower storeys along with other debris from the fire. It was not until 1994 that the remains of the once magnificent stove were discovered in the cellar of the building.

Image Source J. Lipták, Foto ©LfA 2001.

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The Bahrhaus

In the east of the main castle, the Bahrhaus and two vaults with three staircases have been preserved. A particular eye-catcher is the Gothic library window from the 15th century, which is located in an extension between the Bahrhaus and the former cloister. During excavations in 1997/1998, another building was uncovered between the Bahrhaus and the Kaiserhaus. The lower storey of the former two-storey building is a cellar. It consists of two barrel-vaulted rooms that were carved out of the rock and connected by a staircase.

Image Source S. Krabath, Foto ©LfA 2015.

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Excavations 1997 - 2001

Extensive renovation work on the Oybin made a scientific excavation and exploration of the site necessary. Between 1997 and 2001, the Saxony State Office for Archaeology, with the support of the municipality of Oybin, was able to carry out archaeological investigations in up to 17 areas. In addition to the excavation finds, artful architectural remains or simple ceramics were also repeatedly discovered, giving an impression of ascetic monastic life in such a magnificently built complex.

Image Source OA 87250, 523, Rekonstruktionszeichnung ©LfA 1964.