The hunting lodge where Emperor Heinrich III stayed

High on a mountain spur known as the Käseberg - or the Kaiserberg - a royal hunting lodge once sat overlooking the ford through the Hassel. This was the Jagdhof Hasselfelde, also called the Alte Königsburg. It was established as a spur castle (Spornburganlage) and served as a royal hunting lodge.

King Heinrich I founded the site during his reign from 919 to 936. In those early centuries, the lodge served as a place of stay for the first German kings during their hunts in the Harz. The records are specific and enduring: documents prove that Emperor Heinrich III stayed at the site in 1043 and again in 1052.

With the weakening of central German authority at the end of the 11th century, the Jagdhof Hasselfelde left imperial history and became part of the County of Blankenburg. The complex featured a roundish core castle (Kernburg), while a forecastle (Vorburg) or economic courtyards may have existed on the rear plateau, separated by a ditch and wall.

By 1150, the seat belonged to the Vogts of Hasselfelde. From this position, they supervised the various estates of the Counts of Blankenburg. However, the founding of the town of Hasselfelde in 1222 caused the castle to lose its significance. The administration of the Blankenburg seat was subsequently handled by the walled town of Hasselfelde.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons