The old Castle of Stolzenfels was build in the years 1242-1259 by Arnold II. of Isenburg, Archbishop of Trier as custom, Castle. In 1412 the role as custom Castle was given by Werner von Falkenstein to the Castle Kunostein. In the 30years War Stolzenfels Castle was first in 1632 occupied by the ASwedes and later for alwaqys 2 years in 1634 and in 1635 by the french. After it was in destroyed in 1689 during the palatin hereditary War for the next 150 years the ruins fell more and apart. In 1815 the City of Koblenz gave the ruins as gift to Crown prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. He accepted it only in 1823 after his marriage with Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria.
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| The Castle Church |
In the years 1826-1830 the Architect Johann Claudius von Lassauls build the parish Church St. Means in Stolzenfels at the Order of Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Ath the same the Castle was rebuild as Summer residence. Until 1842 the present Castle was build under cooperation of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Unmistakley are the influences of the english new gothic and the romantic Style of Schinkel. In 1842 the Castle was ready and on 14.09.1842 King Friedrich Wilhelm IV moved in. In 1845 the Castle Church in new goth Style was added.
Soon after the Castle was complete it was opened to Visitors when the King was not in residence.
Since 2002 the Castle Stolzenfels is part of the UNESCO awarded World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley . For the Romantic Rhine exhibition at National Museum Koblenz 2002, a digital model was created that reconstructs the state of 1845, based on restoration research. For the Federal Horticultural Show 2011 in Koblenz Castle Stolzenfels EUR 16 million was restored from state funds. The external appearance has been restored and re-created the gardens according to old plans. .
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