WEILBURG

'Weilburg' is a town in the district Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany. The old town, built on and around a rocky hill almost encircled by the Lahn river, contains a castle of the 16th century, formerly the residence of the dukes of Nassau-Weilburg, and later of the grand dukes of Luxemburg.

Contents

Geography

Geographic location

Neighbour municipalities

Structure of the town

History

Main sights

Sister cities

Coat of Arms

Local businesses and Infrastructure

Transport

External links

Geography

Geographic location

Weilburg is located in the Lahn river valley between the Westerwald and Taunus. The town is situated just above the confluence of the Weil and the Lahn, 50 mi northeast from Coblence. In the neighbourhood are the ruins of the castles of Merenberg and Freienfels.

Neighbour municipalities

In the North, Weilburg borders with Merenberg and Löhnberg (both in Limburg-Weilburg), in the East with the town Braunfels (Lahn-Dill-Kreis). In the South borders are with Weilmünster and Weinbach as well as the town Runkel and in the West with Beselich (all in the Limburg-Weilburg district).

Structure of the town

About 40 percent of the residents are living in the town itself. The following districts are part of Weilburg:

★ Ahausen

★ Bermbach

★ Drommershausen

★ Gaudernbach

★ Hasselbach

★ Hirschhausen

★ Kirschhofen

★ Kubach

★ Odersbach

★ Waldhausen

History

Weilburg was first mentioned in the year 906 in a chronicle by abbot Regino of Prüm as 'Wilineburch'. Six years later, King Conrad I laid foundation for a church and an abbey. Between 993 and 1062 the more and more parts of the town were given away to the diocese of Worms.
In 1225, the bishop of Worms pledged the governance to the House of Nassau, which finally forestalled it in 1294 and gave town charter to it one year later. Count John I of Nassau-Weilburg made Weilburg his residence in 1355, renewed the castle and started erecting town fortifications.
For the following centuries, the House of Nassau formed the history of the town. Especially Earl John Ernst (1664-1719) renewed and refurbished his residence by expanding the palace, installing a park and changing the town's face. This made Weilburg to one of the most complete well preserved examples of a German residency of the absolutism. Not until 1817 William of Nassau relocated the Residence to Biebrich.
In terms of architecture, Weilburg is known for its loam buildings from after 1800. By special dedication of Wilhelm Jacob Wimpf, the so called ''Pise-Bau'' was encouraged. The highest ''Stampflehmgebäude'' ("Stamped loam building") from that time is a six floor house, which is the highest building of that kind in Germany. During World War II the town only sustained minor damages.
Weilburg has been district town of the Oberlahnkreis from its foundation in 1867. But it lost this function, when the Hessian districts were reformed. The districts Oberlahn and Limburg were resolved and the new district ''Landkreis Limburg-Weilburg'' formed on 01 July 1974 with the new district town Limburg.
Weilburg was the host for the 45th Hessentag, which took place on 17-26 June 2005.

Main sights

★ The castle from the 14th century, extensively rebuild in the 16th and 18th century. The so called ''Kernschloss'' (core castle) parts of the building in Renaissance style count to the best preserved Renaissance castles in Hesse.

★ The Protestant ''Schlosskirche ''(castle's church) from the begin of the 18th century.

★ The in Germany unique shipping tunnel from 1847.

★ The half timbered houses from the 16th to the 19th Century

★ The grammar school called ''Gymnasium Philippinum'' from the 18th century

★ The ''Neptunbrunnen'' ("Well of Neptun") from the year 1709.

★ The so called Kalvarienberg and the chapel ('Heilig-Grab-Kapelle'') on the old graveyard.
Said to be unique in the world is the Weilburger Tunnel ensemble. There are three tunnels next to each other for cars, boats and trains.

Sister cities

★ Privas, France, since 1958

★ Tortona, Italy, since 1964

★ Zevenaar, Netherlands, since 1966

★ Kežmarok, Slovakia, since 1990

★ Quattro Castella, Italy, since 2002

★ Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, since 2004

★ Kizilcahamam, Turkey, since 2006

Coat of Arms

Weilburg's Coat of Arms is rather young. It has been endowed to the town in 1906 when it was celebrating its one thousand year existence. It shows a silver castle on a blue background. The middle of the three pinnacles-towers carries a red tower-helmet with a golden ball on top. The closed gate with black metal fittings carries a blue buckler on which the lion of Nassau is pictured in gold. Archetype was the official seal of Weilburg from the year 1329.

Local businesses and Infrastructure

Transport

The town is located at the Lahntalbahn Koblenz—Limburg—'Weilburg'—Wetzlar—Gießen and takes part in the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund.

External links

★ Official website

★ Weilburg's castle and the castle's garden

★ private website about the town history, buildings, sights and more

★ The crystal cave of Kubach is the only in Germany.