The Castle

On Castle Sterrenberg currently an exhibition about the brief history is being planned. The exhibition will likely take place in the steeple (tower).

Heinrich und Konrad, the dissimilar sons of Heinrich Beyer of Boppard, have been raised together with an orphaned relative, Hildegard Brömser, on Castle Sterrenberg.

As the years of childhood have been over and Hildegard had become a beautiful virgin, Heinrich - the older and graver one of the brothers - recognized, that his feelings for Hildegard had their roots very deep in his heart, and that the picture of Hildegard was fixed in his dreams of the future.

Nevertheless he knew, that also his brother Konrad - the more sanguine and fiery on of them - could not avert his eyes from Hildegard, and that he avoided any bright party to be close to her.

As Heinrich realized, that Hildegard bore more sisterly sentiments for him and appreciated him as friend while showing warmer feelings for his brother, he came to a dignified decision: He would renounce his happiness in favor of those who were close to him.

Thereupon Hildegard opened her heart for Konrad, and the father gave his blessing for the couple. But the decided relation has been put off for some time.

To overcome his pain of the unfulfilled love, Heinrich followed the call to place himself as knight of the christian world under the banner of The Cross and started his way to the battle.

As finally, after several months the espousal of Konrad and Hildegard should take place, the lore about Heinrich's chivalric doings reached Castle Sterrenberg. Konrad, who did not want to stand besides the glory of his brother, decided also to fight in the name of The Cross. Already a few days later he went away and left his young bride behind.

After several months, where only trustless news reached the castle, and where Hildegard pined over in fear and yearning for her bridegroom, she recognized a troop of armed, under the banner of the Beyer. But it was not, as she first expected, Konrad, who was riding up the way, it was Heinrich.

Heinrich reported only scantely and very embarrassed from his brother; that he stayed in Palestine only for a short time, and very soon had come back to the Greek Emperor Town.

As the father had died during the absence of the sons, Heinrich and Hildegard now moved to Castle Liebenstein, which has been adjudged to him as heritage of his father. Again, Hildegard and Heinrich lived together like brother and sister, and the respectable Heinrich would never have considered to resurrect her for himself. And she suffered her pain without lamentation.

But then Hildegard's forebodings and fears became true: the lore of his homecoming had already hurried ahead, and so she saw Konrad coming up the way towards the Castle together with a dark-haired woman of greek derivation and with fiery eyes.

When Heinrich saw Hildegard, sitting sunken down and silently on a wall, this was the biggest pain he ever has suffered. His brother spurned his holyest sentiments, his brother, for whom he had given the happiness of his life.

He summonned Konrad for a duel. Konrad recognized his wrong, but he could not avoid the duel, as he wanted to represent himself as proud and fearless for his beautiful wife.

When everything was prepared for the duel and the swords were crossed, a white stature leapt between the antagonized brothers - Hildegard, who wanted to reconsile the brothers with her solemn assertions. She made the brothers swear to live from now in peace and silence, whereas she made the decision to enter into the Convent Marienberg near Boppard, in order not to be the issue between the brothers. Already the next day she suited the action to the word.

Since that time also Konrad's zest for life lost ground; his soul did not find any more peace. This feeling was even strengthened, as he did not get the sympathy of his wife. The more he recognized the seduction that he had succumbed to.

Only one year after Hildegard had left the Castle, the brothers could really reconsile: when the greek beauty left Konrad for an other knight.

Heinrich did not say one upbraiding word, he received Konrad in Castle Liebenstein, so that his brother never needed to come back to the empty halls of Sterrenberg.

When Konrad died young, Heinrich entered into the convent of Bornhofen. And - the legend says, that when one day the knell in Marienberg rang and Hildegard was brought to her grave, also in Bornhofen the knell rang for Heinrich.

Location: 151 m above the Rhine 210 m above sea level The Castle Sterrenburg was built in 1100 and had two important functions: Safeguarding the manor belonging to the Boppard Tax Office on the Rhine's right as well as the surveillance of the customs office in Bornhofen. Already in 1190 the empire ministers von Bolanden were owners of the castle and of the village Bornhofen as feud of the empire.

After the die out of the von Bolanden by the end of the 13th century, the Earl of Katzenelenbogen came into property of the Castle Sterrenberg in form of a empire mortgage.

But this was refuted by the powerful Archbishop Balduin of Trier. As consequence of these disputes Bornhofen has been destroyed in 1313.

The Archbishopric of Trier finally had the predominance and made Castle Sterrenberg the center of his properties on the right side of the rhine: Filsen, Kamp, Bornhofen, Wellmich, Lykershausen, Prath and Dahlheim.

But already 50 years later Sterrenberg lost this function in favour of the Castle Thurnburg (so-called Castle Mouse) near Wellmich.

In 1456 Sterrenberg is already considered as ‚decrepited' , and in 1568 it was described as ‚old', ‚ruinous' and ‚uninhabited house'. Sterrenberg remained kurtrierian until 1806, then became nassauian (1866) and finally Prussian Public Ownership (until 1945).

Today it is property of the federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz.

The Castle Sterrenberg is located at the top of a steep rugged rock, giving a beautiful view over the Bornhofen Stream and the Bornhofen Valley.

The separation into front- and center castle, each with an own wall over a fosse does still exist. The quadrate, roman spire is surrounded by a small kennel. At the north-east-edge of the quadrate BERING a two-storied domicile tower (women house).

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