Rapunzel’s Castle – Castle of Trendelburg, district of Kassel, Hesse
The fairy tale castle of Trendelburg is a station of the Sleeping Beauty Branch of the German Fairy Tale Route. Legend has it that this is the castle of the Rapunzel tale where she is captured in the tower pictured on the last two photos and lets her hair down through one of the windows.
The castle is now a hotel, having some rooms in Rapunzel’s Tower.
The first records of Trendelburg come from the 13th century where it is mentioned in a document of the monastery of Corvey, now stored in the state archive in Münster. Konrad III. of Schöneberg (1249 – 1311) built the Trendelburg on a hill near a ford and crossing point of important trade routes over the river Diemel. Konrad committed himself in 1303 to military services for the archbishop of Mainz to make atonement for his sins. This upset the bishop of Paderborn who with the help of landgrave Heinrich I. dispossessed Konrad III. of Schöneberg from his ancestral seat in 1306. In the following years, the Trendelburg was under joint administration by the bishops of Paderborn and the landgraves of Hesse. After the widow Maria of Schöneberg sold the fiefdom to the landgrave of Hesse in 1429, a long war broke out, which ended with Paderborn losing all influence over the area and the castle. Since 1465, the Trendelburg belonged to Hesse.
During the thirty year war, the imperial army under commander Tilly destroyed castle and town of Trendelburg multiple times. A large part of the citizens was also killed by the plague. After the war had ended, landgrave Karl rebuilt and enlarged the castle, making it one of his hunting lodges. In the seven years’ war, the castle was occupied by the French army, but duke Ferdinand of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel conquered the Trendelburg in a fierce battle, killing or capturing 300 French troops.
During the 19th century, the castle lost its importance as the revenue office and the court were withdrawn and moved to more modern places. It was finally the seat of a Prussian forestry commission office.
In 1901, family von Stockhausen, who possessed since centuries a manor not far away, bought the castle and took it as their residence. In 1949, they started a hotel business in the castle, which is still in service. Some of the rooms are for rent in Rapunzel’s tower. The castle is still owned by family von Stockhausen and is open for visitors. The small entryway – persons taller than 6 ft have to duck their head – leads to the courtyard with the palace, a restaurant and an open-air dining area. Because maintenance of the castle is very expensive, family von Stockhausen expect visitors to stop for a bite to eat.
Just watch the amazement of an Australian couple discovering Trendelburg
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