From 1 April to 31 October visitors to
Sparrenburg can climb the tower between 10.00 and 18.00 daily and enjoy
the view over the city of Bielefeld and
the rolling Ravensberg countryside.
Between April and October it is
also possible to book tours of the
casemates and also a guided tour
called ‘Sparrenburg in the Travel, Trade
and Transport Network’. Public guided tours of the casemates take
place daily at 11.00 and 14.30. Separate bookings for groups can
be arranged.
A special highlight is the Sparrenburg Festival, held on the
last weekend of July every year. During this three-day spectacle the
history and culture of the late Middle Ages are brought to life again
by Kramer Zunft & Kurtzweyl.
From Westphalian specialities to robber barons’ great feasts,
the rustic Castle Restaurant with its extensive menu is an inviting
place to spend a pleasant time. The hall or the castle room also
provide an attractive setting for weddings and other family occasions.
Historical Events
Mid 9th C Settlement in Bielefeld first mentioned during this
period
1214 Founding of the town of Bielefeld by Count Hermann IV of
Ravensberg
First half Count Ludwig of Ravensberg has the castle built.
of 13th C First mentioned 1256
1346 The castle passes by marriage to Count Gerhard von
Jülich
1511 Sparrenburg and the land of Ravensberg are inherited by
Duke Johann III of Kleve
1609 After the death of Johann Wilhelm von Kleve Sparrenberg
is jointly owned by Kurbrandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg.
Start of the Jülich-Kleve dispute over the succession
1614 The Treaty of Xanten brings the Jülich-Kleve dispute over
the succession to an end by dividing the inheritance
between Kurbrandenburg and Pfalz-Neuburg
1615 Netherlands troops occupy Sparrenburg
1623 Spanish occupy Sparrenburg
1626–1642 During the Thirty Years’ War the castle is besieged in turn
by the Spanish, Dutch, Swedish and French
1647 The Treaty of Düsseldorf confirms the partition according
to the Treaty of Xanten. The Pfalz-Neuburg occupiers
hand over the castle to Brandenburg
1673 Münster troops surround Sparrenburg. Biggest siege of
the fortress, with 1,500 men
1679 June 6, unsuccessful attack on the castle by the French
1760 Castle used as a magazine and signal station during the
Seven Years’ War
1879 Bielefeld Town Council purchases the ruined fortress for
8,934.90 marks
1884 July 3, first Sparrenburg Festival
1900 August 6, ceremonial unveiling of the monument to the
Great Elector by Kaiser Wilhelm II
1944 On September 30 all the Sparrenburg buildings except
for the tower fall victim to an air raid
1949 Sparrenburg is opened to visitors again
1996 Completion of thirty years of reconstruction work
Contact
Sparrenburg
Am Sparrenberg
33602 Bielefeld
Telephone +49 (0) 521 136 79 56
[email protected]
www.sparrenburg.info
2006 Start of further renovation work
2007 Uncovering of the historic surface of the Kiekstatt round
tower. Start of archaeological excavations
Published by: Bielefeld Marketing GmbH | Artistic design: Geyer Gestaltung, Werbung & Kommunikation GmbH | Pictures: Arnt Becker; Geyer Gestaltung, Werbung & Kommunikation GmbH; Helmut Kölbach;
LWL-Archäologie für Westfalen; Bielefeld City Archives and Regional History Library | Printed by: Gieselmann Druck und Medienhaus GmbH & Co KG, Bielefeld | Translation: INTERNA | Date: 07/2010
Visiting Sparrenburg
Sparrenburg
English
www.sparrenburg.info
Building and Dilapidation of Sparrenburg
The 19th and 20th Centuries
The exact date when Sparrenburg was built is uncertain. It is mentioned for the first time in a document in 1256. The castle probably
got its name from the heraldic figure of the Counts of Ravensberg.
Their coat of arms, which can be traced back to the 12th century, is
three red chevrons (“Sparren”) on a silver ground.
In the mid-19th century, when castles became objects of romanticism, Sparrenburg was rediscovered, this time not as a military
structure but as a historic monument. With the aid of donations
work started in 1842 on rebuilding the dilapidated tower to its
present height of 37 m.
The precise dimensions of the castle are unknown and, due
to the many alterations and extensions over the centuries, they
cannot now be established with certainty. At most, though, it is
thought to have been an irregular oblong about 45 m wide and
100 m long.
Bielefeld Town Council purchased the castle complex from
the State of Prussia in 1879. The official site value was fixed at
70,000 marks, but the purchase cost only the utility value which,
with Prussian precision, was determined as 8,934.90 marks. Since
then Sparrenburg has been the city’s
most famous landmark and a popular
destination for both local people and
visitors.
On the gate side the entrance was protected by a moat and
drawbridge. The tower stood in the middle of a curtain wall dividing the complex into an outer ward and a main castle. Whereas
the outer ward housed the stables, buildings used by the military
and workshops, the main castle was the site of the palace, the
building facing the town that was used as accommodation and for
entertaining.
In the 15th century arms technology developed with the technical improvement to cannons. As firearms started to dominate
warfare, it became necessary to fortify Sparrenburg. The four
round towers were gradually constructed and then linked together
by passages, the casemates.
The castle went through many changes of family and occupiers. The Great Elector restored the complex, which had suffered
badly in the Thirty Years’ War, as a fortress and living accommodation. After the death of the Great Elector in 1688 Sparrenburg’s
military significance declined. Over the years it fell into disrepair.
In the inner courtyard stands the
monument to the Great Elector which
Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Count of
Ravensberg, gave to the city and unveiled at a ceremony in the summer
of 1900.
During the Second World War Sparrenburg was again, for the
last time, used for military purposes. Once the most essential
clearing up and consolidation work had been carried out the castle
was once again opened to visitors in May 1949.
Sparrenburg is home to twelve different species of bat and, in
recognition of this, in 2000 it was designated an FFH (Flora Fauna
Habitat). Only four of the species native to NRW do NOT occur here.
This is the species-richest winter habitat in NRW.
Between 1743 and 1877 the castle was used as an administration building and a prison.
The castle finally became a ruin in 1775 when Frederick the
Great ordered the stones from the outer walls to be removed in
order to build the barracks for the 55th Prussian Infantry Regiment,
still preserved today in Hans-Sachs-Straße.
Excavations
Work began at Sparrenburg in 2006 on restoring the outer walls,
the masonry facings of which had been badly damaged, and laying
drains.
In the course of these renovations the original historic surface
of the 16th century Kiekstatt round tower was found in autumn
2007 (see drawing below).
Further excavations in 2008 uncovered the foundation walls
of another 16th century building with huge external dimensions of
over 40 m long and over 15 m wide.
This was the armoury.
Since then, more archaeological excavations
have taken place on the
castle site to investigate
the finds and obtain a
more detailed picture of
Sparrenburg.
urg
und at Sparrenb
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5) Serotine
6) Pond bat
s bat
7) Bechstein’
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8) Daubento
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9) Whiskered
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10) Parti-col
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11) Brown lo
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12) Natterer’s
1)
2)
Modern
built 2007,
16th century
paving
Historic
masonry –
original
Historic
masonry –
later phase of
construction
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