2412 GERMANY (Bavaria) - Nuremberg Castle

2412 The Imperial castle (Kaiserburg) in Nuremberg,
with Sinwell Tower (Sinwellturm)

Located in Middle Franconia, on the river Pegnitz, Nuremberg (German: Nürnberg) is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly because Imperial Diet (Reichstag) and courts met at Nuremberg Castle. The castle does not appear in any documents until 1105, but the archeological investigations during recent years indicate that the place was already settled around the year 1000.

In 1140, King Conrad III started building a second castle on the site, to be used as a royal residence. In the 13th century, Nuremberg became an Imperial Free City, and the castle fell into the care of the city. Of all the parts of the castle built during this time, the Luginsland Tower ("watch-over-the-land" Tower), begun in 1377, stands out. In WWII, the castle was damaged in 1944-1945, with only the Roman double chapel and the Sinwell Tower remaining entirely intact.

After the war, the castle was restored under the direction of Rudolf Esterer and Julius Lincke to its historical form. It comprises three sections: the Imperial castle (Kaiserburg), some buildings of the Burgraves of Nuremberg (Burggrafenburg), and the municipal buildings of the Imperial City at the eastern site (Reichsstädtische Bauten). The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortifications.

About the stamp
The first two stamps are part of the series Blumen, about which I wrote here. The last stamp is one of the three of the series Comics - Asterix, designed by Thomas Steinacker and issued on September 1, 2015.

References
Nuremberg Castle - Wikipedia

Sender: Ismene (postcrossing) DE-5089816
Sent from Nuremberg (Bavaria / Germany), on 20.03.2016