Markgrafenstein

The Markgrafenstein was a medieval spur castle standing on the Bonifacius rock at 450 metres above sea level between Schweina and Bad Liebenstein in the Thuringian Forest. It was built in the 13th century by the Ludowing landgraves of Thuringia, then the most powerful noble family in western Thuringia. The castle was called Neuenstein to distinguish it from the older Burg Stein nearby, which became known as Altenstein. The Wettin landgraves owned both castles after 1346, when Burg Altenstein passed to them through the lords of Frankenstein. A painted bridge once linked the two fortresses, showing they were held together under Wettin rule. The castle’s name first appears in records in 1225, when the older Burg Stein was called Altenstein. The newer fortress was rarely mentioned, though it was destroyed during the Peasants’ War when insurgents seized and wrecked it. Burg Altenstein survived untouched because its owners pretended to side with the rebels. Archaeologists have found traces of buildings and daily life from the 13th to 15th centuries north of the terrace where the castle once stood. Today the Bonifacius rock offers wide views over the Thuringian Forest and the Werra valley. Visitors can walk the quiet paths around the former castle site and see the remains of walls and foundations. The rock itself bears the name of Saint Boniface, who is said to have preached there long before the castle was built. Nearby, the Schweina church keeps a faded wall painting that shows the vanished bridge between the two fortresses. The site stands as a quiet reminder of the Wettin landgraves’ power and the brief life of Burg Markgrafenstein.