Wasserburg Ilmenau
Ilmenau
Access
No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found
- Where
- Ilmenau
To make a day of it
Wasserburg Ilmenau stands in Ilmenau (Ilm-Kreis), in Thuringia, Germany. No visits are on record for this building.
The Wasserburg Ilmenau has long vanished from the townscape of Ilmenau, yet its memory survives through archaeological excavations carried out beneath the town church in the late 1990s. These digs uncovered the remains of a Romanesque structure from the 10th century, confirming a theory put forward as early as 1910 by local historian Paul Bleisch. The findings are now displayed in a permanent exhibition housed within a modern building. Some further traces of the vanished stronghold can still be seen in the town's Amtshaus.
What to know
- No standing structure of the Wasserburg itself survives, so a visit means engaging with an archaeological heritage site rather than an intact castle.
- The excavated remains are displayed in a permanent exhibition inside a modern building erected on the dig site.
- Further traces of the former stronghold can be seen in the town's Amtshaus.
- The site lies in the center of Ilmenau, right next to the parish church.
Where this château is
Ilmenau · Ilm-Kreis · Thüringen
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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km
Address
Am Markt 1, 98693 Ilmenau
Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.
4.8 / 5from 4 Google reviews
- Heritage status
- Protection status unknown
Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme
Frequently asked
- Can the Wasserburg Ilmenau still be visited today?
- No intact structure remains; only 10th-century archaeological remains found beneath the town church are displayed, housed in a modern building.
- Who founded the Wasserburg Ilmenau?
- It is believed to have been founded by the Counts of Käfernburg, before being destroyed in 1289 due to robber-baron activity.
- What survives of the Wasserburg Ilmenau?
- Romanesque fragments uncovered during excavations beneath the town church, now on permanent display, along with some traces visible in the town's Amtshaus.
- When did the Wasserburg Ilmenau disappear?
- It was already derelict by 1613, then burned down and was fully demolished in 1703.
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Sources
Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Land's heritage lists.
