A World of experience
The 11th century to touch and join in

When you look at a castle, have you ever wondered how someone could build such an impressive structure? And why did they build something like that?
Despite all the possibilities that modern technology offers today, it cannot convey what it is like to build a castle, use authentic tools and watch the structure come into being. Even the best computer animation cannot offer all of this. The construction of Hofraite Castle can do it.
An authentic insight into the time around the year 1000 AD. This project examines life on an early low castle during this time as a whole.

What is important here is that the beginning of a castle complex is shown and examined. Most of the castles or castle ruins that are still visible today show the final stage of development before they were abandoned or destroyed. But why and how was the castle first fortified? What was the occasion? What did the fortifications look like? What resources were necessary to build and maintain such a facility?
The project aims to investigate these questions.
The museum’s scientific standards are at the forefront of everything. Knowledge discovery and communication go hand in hand. Similar to what happened in Guédelon in France or at Campus Galli in Meßkirch. The aim is to preserve and expand knowledge of medieval construction techniques and lifestyles and to clearly communicate the current state of research to interested visitors.

In a building that is not part of the actual castle complex – at the entrance to the site – an exhibition room will be used to document the construction progress. This houses a small museum and an event room. A café/snack is also planned.

• Construction of a castle in its most original form – as a tower hill castle – with scientific supportau
• Manufacture of all tools and application of the same to the required materials
• Explore, experience and convey how a castle could have been built in our Hessian homeland
• THE central point for the presentation of medieval life in Büdingen
• Collaboration with other historical societies and museums
• Courses and workshops in blacksmithing, pottery or bow making
• Establishment of a “green classroom” to impart knowledge of “lived history”
• European networking with similar projects
• Publication and documentation of the findings of experimental archeology and scientific support
• Active revitalization of the built accommodation/outbuildings through “reenactment”

Construction of the castle

Over the last 2 years we have spent a lot of time doing thorough research. We currently have 91 books and articles in our association’s own library and will be reconstructing 15 buildings on the settlement area. We would like to depict typical buildings from the 10th and 11th centuries. It has also been shown that a lot has changed in the construction techniques used during this time. Newer house types could certainly be used at the same time as older types. In order to do justice to this diversity, we decided to build houses that were not typical of a small castle like that of our lord.

The evidence for this period and the rural area is very poor for Hesse. In addition, the orientation of the buildings in relation to each other must be determined. As the outer bailey is more or less a farmstead, excavations of village buildings from this period are also used. The orientation of the main house, stables and granary in relation to each other is thus determined. The first buildings to be erected will of course be the building hut and the smithy. Then we will build the residential building. At 19 metres long and 8 metres wide, this post-and-beam building is already a major challenge. This building will serve as a living and meeting place in our castle.

The much smaller servants’ house followed the following year. As this thatched post-and-beam building, dating back to the Ottonian period, is considerably smaller at 7 x 4 metres, we will probably build a bakehouse in the same year, which will be somewhat out of the way due to the risk of fire. As far as we know so far, it will be a simple shelter with a baking oven. In order to do justice to one of the most common types of house, namely the pit house, the potter’s workshop is also planned for this year. The pit house was often used as a workshop. We would like to do justice to this. In the third year of construction comes the first building, which demonstrably dates from the Salian period.

The tithe barn, with a floor area of 15 x 8 metres, is also an impressive post-and-beam structure. It is built in such a way that it can be driven through with an ox or horse cart. The stables are comparatively modest at 5×3 metres, but are an equally important part of a castle. And a weaving hut as a pit house will also be built in the same year.
In the fourth year of construction, we are already introducing three technical innovations with the storehouse. It will be the first house to be built with a glulam construction. In addition, the wooden beams are set on a stone base and there is a cellar.

Of course, there will also be a church. We can assume that our lord of the castle wants to do something for his salvation. The church will be 15×7 metres in size. The importance of the building will be emphasised by stone walls. At least the lower floor will be bricked. The upper storey can be constructed using a sill beam method.

We will deal with this in the fifth year. Next year we’ll get to the tower. The tower will be made entirely of wood and will be about 12 metres high. It will be built on a small mound. This will make it a landmark building for the surroundings of our small castle.

Another building of the “upper class” will be our guardhouse or customs house in its seventh year of construction. It will be a two-storey wooden building with a sill beam construction. With this customs house, we want to commemorate the customs station that is said to have once existed near Vonhausen.

The last large building planned is a manor house of the fixed house type with an attached cellar neck. Here our lord of the castle will create a representative and at the same time fortified building. This building may well take two years to complete. Other components of our castle, such as gardens, beehives, wells, poultry sheds and fortifications are built parallel to the other buildings and round off the overall picture of a medieval castle complex. The timescales for the various buildings are estimated for an ideal process. Delays can always occur, as we prioritise scientific and technical accuracy over speed.