Schwanenburg Castle

The Schwanenburg Castle (English: Swan Castle), in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the dukes of Cleves resided, was founded on a steep hill. It is located at the northern terminus of the Kermisdahl where it joins with the Spoykanal, which was previously an important transportation link to the Rhine.

Schwanenburg Castle
Schwanenburg Castle, seen from the south
Alternative namesSwan Castle
General information
Architectural styleBaroque
Town or cityKleve
CountryNorth Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany
CompletedBefore 1092
Renovated1663-1666, 1948-1953
Height180 feet (55 m)
Design and construction
ArchitectPieter Post
Known forAnna of Cleves, Lohengrin (opera), Klevian gardens
Other information
ParkingYes
Website
https://www.kleve.de/de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/schwanenburg/

The legend in historical context

There is almost no reliable information about the local power relations in the area of "Kleve" in the early Middle Ages. The few statements by some historians are also controversial. According to one of these sources to 711 a daughter of a noble family named Beatrix a Count Aelius (or Helios) Gralius married, who was a follower of Charles Martell. This count had possessed areas in the area of Teisterbant as a fief. The son of this marriage had been known as Theodoric I from 742 both Count of Teisterbant and the first Earl of Cleves. Among the descendants of the counties Teisterbant and Cleves were divided. The last descendant of this noble family in Cleves was Count Nufried, after his death in 1008 this family line was extinguished.

A "Beatrix" from a noble house is also called in a legend or fairy tale as the ancestor of the Counts of Cleves, who married a swan knight Elias. At least since the 15th century, the counts and dukes of Cleves derived their origin from this swan knight Elias (Aelius = Elias), Which is related to the figure of Lohengrin.

About Beatrix of Cleves, Countess of Teisterband

Walter, Count of Teisterbant, in the Dukedom of Gelre, District of the Betuwe, died either 724 or 742 (Oudheusden). His daughter and heiress, Beatrix, Countess of Teisterbant, married about 711, Theodoric, Stadholder and Lord of Cleves. Their daughter and heiress, Beatrix, Countess of Teisterbant, married after the death of both her parents to Elias, Aelius, or Elius Grail, Gralius, Graielis, or Grajus, a great hero, Stadtholder of Nijmegen and (Pure Legendary) first Count of Cleves, She died 734.[5]

  • Schwanenburg castle seen from the south. 1758
  • Schwanenburg castle. entrance. 1758
  • Coat of arms Counts of Cleves
  • Outer court
  • Schwanenburg 1897
  • Kermisdahl and Schwanenburg castle

See also

References
  1. "Blättern im Zedler-Lexikon Bd. 6, Seite 220". Zedler-lexikon.de. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  2. "Zwanenburcht te Kleef Duitsland". Absolutefacts.nl. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  3. "Sehenswürdigkeiten: Schwanenburg | Stadt Kleve". Kleve.de. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  5. "Beatrix van Kleef van Teisterband (c.695 - c.734) - Genealogy". Geni.com. 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
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