Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz
• Location: Wierschem, Germany
• Has a plethora of styles such as
romanesque and baroque because it
was built by many families over time
• Has been in same
family for 33
generations
 Treasure Vault
• There is a treasure vault located in the 
cellar of the Rubenach house.
• The vault contains gold and silver 
drinking vessels, art work, and porcelin 
from Vienna. 
• The vault is open to the public
 History
• Built during the 12th century on the Mosel River.
• 1157: the castle is completed and Rudolf zu Eltz began
living in the castle
• 1268: brothers Elias, Whilhelm, and Theoderich zu Eltz
split the property of the castle. Burg Eltz becomes a
Ganerbenburg.
• 1331-1336: the castle was involved in the only feud in its
history, the Eltz fued
• 1472: the Rubenach house was built with its timber-framed
towers resting on two basalt columns over the entrace
porch and the late-Gothic chapel
 History
• 1490-1540: the Rodendorf house was built. Its façade
contains a vaulted portico on three pillars
• 1604-1661: the Kempenich houses were construced. Their
main entrace is protected by a porch with a bay room on
top built on two octagonal basalt pillars joined by Romanic
arches. They also added timber framework to the inner
courtyard and the well which supplied the entire castle
with water. This construction finalized the building on the
castle. At this time about 100 families resided in the castle.
 History
• 1665-1743: Eltz family is at their peak of influence on
Germany
• 1688-1689: the Palatinate wars destroyed many of the
Rhine castles, but thanks to Hans Anton zu Eltz-Uttigngen
Burg Eltz was protected.
• 1733: the Eltz family is raised to the position of Counts of
the Empire
• 1794-1815: the Eltz family loses power as France occupies
Germany and the Eltz-Rodendorf line dies out. Their
property is taken by the Eltz-Kempenich line.
 History
• 1845-1888: Graf Karl zu Eltz began to restore the family
castle. However, no major building changes took place.
• Present day: the Eltz castle is owned by Dr. Karl Graf von
und zu Eltz. He represents the 33rd generation of the House
of Eltz.
 The Eltz Family
• There are three • The Kempenich
families who family still uses
share the castle. their section of
• The Rubenach the castle
and the
Rodendorf
sections of the
castle are open to
the public
 Landscape
• Built on a 70 m
rock
• Surrounded by
the Eltz river on
three sides
• The Eltz river is a
tributary of the
Mosel river
• The closest town
is Wierschem
•“Eltz castle is simply
what a castle should be.
Its solitude and the
beauty of its situation
stimulate the
imagination.”
– - Georg Dehio