High above
the town of Bielefeld on Sparrenburg hill (180 m or 591 ft altitude) sits
imposing Sparrenburg Castle. It is a restored fortress and towers 60 m (197 ft)
above the city centre. It was constructed in the mid 13th century by the Counts
of Ravensberg. The castle was then the administrative centre and residence of
the county sovereign and it protected the town and trade routes through the pass.
The fortress
was rebuilt many times. Its present outline is from the middle of the 16th
century. At the end
of the 17th century, Sparrenburg Castle no longer met military requirements.
Therefore, it was partly used as a prison and partly subjected to decline. The
outer walls were torn down and were used for the construction of the barracks
55.
In the 19th
century castle romanticism was in vogue and the "Comité zur
Wiederherstellung des Thurmes auf dem Sparrenberg" (Committee for the
Renovation of the Tower on the Sparrenberg) was founded in Bielefeld. The tower
was reconstructed in 1842/43. Sparrenburg Castle suffered during World War II
and was heavily damaged.
These days
the castle is opened for visitors and each year, the castle provides an
impressive backdrop for the annual medieval spectacular, the Sparrenburgfest.
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