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River - Village - Vineyards - Castle (36)
Buin
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3599 W: 0 N: 7336]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (26597) | Here I show you the small village Alken on Moselle river with its castle "Thurant" on top of the hill. There are villages with the name Alken also in Belgium and in Denmark and all are connected by partnerships. Alken first was mentioned in the 10th century and up to the 13th century it belonged to the Electoral Palatinate which built castle Thurant from1198 to 1206 in order to secure his tenure against the nearby territories of the archbishops of Cologne and Treves (in German: Trier). This caused armed hostilities which culminated in a long siege of the castle by troops of the bishops. It ended in 1248 when the palsgrave handed the castle over to the two archbishops.
The region around Alken was governed until the 18th century by both bishoprics.
It is interesting that the burggraves of both sovereigns had an own donjon, own residential buildings, own outbuildings and an own entrance - all separated by a big wall, but it worked ....
Also interersting is the name of the castle. The builder owner, palsgrave Heinrich I, a Guelf, took part in the 3rd crusade of Frederic I Barbarossa. In the course of this crusade he besieged in vain fortress Thuron near the city Tyros in the today Lebanon and he considered this name as suitable for his new castle at home. Unfortunately the castle high above Alken was impregnable only until 1248 ...
You can see closeup views of the castle in the workshop and here. |
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