A fire damaged parts of the 12th-century Runneburg Castle in the town of Weißensee in the northern German state of Thuringia. the local police said on Thursday morning. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
- An overnight fire damaged parts of Runneburg Castle in the Thuringian town of Weißensee.
- The corner building of the fortification near the tall watchtower caught fire.
- Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the historic castle.
- No injuries were reported in the fire and the site remained closed.
- Runneburg from around 1170 is one of the most important Romanesque castles in Germany.
During the night, flames engulfed the corner building of the fortification next to the tall watchtower. Rescuers feared that the fire would spread due to stronger winds. Firefighters, however, managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the castle, the police spokesman said. According to initial reports, no one was injured. According to the police spokesman, the place has been closed and the cause of the fire will be investigated. The extent of damage to the castle was not immediately clear.
According to the Foundation for Castles and Gardens in Thuringia, Runneburg Castle was built around 1170 and is located on a small hill on the edge of Weißensee. It is considered one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Germany. Only a few places have preserved such a scale of the original building structure from the High Middle Ages. It is also referred to as the “younger sibling” of the famous Wartburg Castle.
