Old Castle Gießen

The Old Castle borders directly on the Botanical Garden. It is also known as the Landgrave's Castle. Parts of the city fortifications can still be seen on the site. The castle was built around 1350 as a moated castle.

Originally, a palace was arranged around a narrow courtyard in the north-west, a residential building and a stable building in the south-west, a building connecting to the fire area in the north-east and a tower with a defensive wall and moat to the south-east. In 1891 some buildings had to be demolished due to dilapidation. In 1893, the city took over the castle so that it could be used for the collections of the Upper Hessian Historical Association and the Wilhelm Gail Foundation.

After the conversion in 1903 in the Neo-Renaissance style (plans: Ludwig Hofmann, Herborn), the palace became the headquarters of the Upper Hessian Museum. The Heidenturm with its Italian dome and the main gate in the south-east remained unchanged. The masonry of the other buildings was stripped of plaster, the roof was given a completely new look and the interiors were also completely redesigned for use as a museum. During the air raids on Gießen in 1944, the castle burned down completely.


de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gie%C3%9Fen

The old castle also has a dungeon, supposedly the model for the Feuerzangenbowle ...