Courtyard: Architectural Styles @museum.de

The various architectural styles make our castle unique and tell of the different eras and the people who have lived here. Langenburg Castle has been continuously occupied for more than 500 years. And naturally, all the generations of the princely family have left their mark.

For example: how would you know that you’re standing in a Renaissance courtyard?

The term”Renaissance” refers to a cultural period that lasted from the 14th to the 17th century. Architects based their floor plans on simple geometric shapes, such as the square or the circle. Here in the courtyard, the volutes in particular, that is, the scrolls on the gables, are a feature of the Renaissance style. But so are the pilasters – the shallow columns projecting from the walls.

During the Baroque period, on the other hand, all the strict Renaissance orders vanished. Geometric shapes were replaced by sweeping, arching lines. You can recognise the Baroque style on the large coat of arms and the design of the main gate when you first enter the castle. And of course, you’ll come across it again later in our beautiful Baroque hall – something to look forward to at the next stop.

The remodelling at Langenburg was carried out at the very end of the Baroque period, that’s to say, in the late 18th century. Hence the plain and uncluttered castle façade facing the town, which is almost neo-classical in style. That’s because the Baroque period was immediately followed by Neoclassicism.

Neoclassicism was in turn followed by the neo-Gothic, or Gothic Revival style. You can recognise it by the pointed arches. Some rooms, mainly in the western part of the castle, were rebuilt in this style. The windows in the Lindenstamm Room, which you’ll be seeing later, have such pointed arches.

Your next stop is inside the castle. To get there, please take the stairs in the tower to the right of the artillery piece. Incidentally, that was a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm the Second to Prince Herrmann. It dates from the Franco-Prussian War, in which the Prince served.