Diez
on the Lahn and its romantic surroundings
The idyllic little town of Diez,
set by the Lahn holiday route, can look back on a fascinating history. There
has been a particularly close connection between the so-called "Golden county"
of Diez and the Netherlands, which contributed to the fact that Diez is also
well-known as "Oranierstadt" ("Town of Orange"). Among the monuments reminding
of these historical ties are the Castle of the Counts of Diez and the Oranienstein
Castle. Going back as far as the 11th century, the Castle of the
Counts now accommodates a highly frequented modern youth hostel. The beautiful
baroque-style Oranienstein castle was built in the 17th century.
Besides serving as headquarters for the German army, it now houses the Nassau-Orange
museum, and offers its chapel and real flair for weddings and the "Oraniensteiner
Konzerte", a series of concerts of classical music in which international top
artists give their performances. In the old historical part of the town, old
and picturesque half-timbered houses and the remains of the medieval town walls
are very popular with day trippers.
Diez offers many ways to spend
one's leisure time. A great number of paths and rambling routes in and around
Diez lead up to the densely-wooded slopes of the Taunus and the Westerwald.
Whatever sport activity you may want to exercise, you can find room for it in
the generously laid-out grounds - tennis, swimming, ice-skating, biking, rambling,
and a vast number of other sporting activities. Water sports have not been forgotten
either - both a water-ski course and a quay for motor boats and cabin cruisers
are available. Boat excursions on the river Lahn help visitors discover the
picturesque Lahn valley with its magnificent countryside on both its banks.
The efficient gastronomic trade
of the area has made a fine art of catering for guests in cosy pubs and pleasant
restaurants, including comfortable holiday homes. Coach parties are also well
taken care of. Trips into the surrounding countryside, e.g. to Balduinstein
and the Schaumburg castle, Cramberg and the Gabelstein, to Holzappel, Laurenburg
or Holzheim with its ruin of the Ardeck fortress, give some impression of the
beauty of the Lahn valley and its side valleys with all their attractions.
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Historical
aspects about Diez
The fortress
of Diez
Diez is a very old town. It was
first mentioned in a document of Karl der Große in 790, and after that
there have been many entries in historical records. The town's first name was
Theodissa, later Didesse, then Dietze or Dietz, and now it is called Diez.
The
first Count of Diez was Count Embricho around the year 1000 A. D. In the 11th
century, his brother built the first fortress of Diez, and the lower aristocrats
began to settle around it. These were the beginnings of the town of Diez. In
1329, it was granted the privilege of town rights by Ludwig der Bayer. Diez
was surrounded by huge town walls and had become the centre and main town of
its region.
The
Counts and Earls of Diez-Nassau-Oranien who ruled the country were often called
to the Netherlands to serve as governors there. They played a significant role
in the liberation of the Netherlands from the Spanish rule of the time. One
important figure was Prince Ernst-Casimir of Nassau-Diez, nephew of the famous
William of Orange. During the counts' absence, their wives had to govern the
regions around Diez. Among them was Countess Sophie Hedwig who resisted the
Swedish soldiers in the Thirty Years' War, and thus became famous for courageously
defending her town.
The
close relationship to the Netherlands, which made Diez also known as "Oranierstadt",
has its finest symbol in the Oranienstein Castle which was built between 1672
and 1684. Princess Albertine of Orange, who gave the castle its name, had started
building it upon the ruins of the former Dierstein monastery, and in 1697 her
daughter-in-law Amalie completed it, turning the building into a beautiful baroque-style
residence. Between 1867 and 1918, the castle accommodated a Prussian military
cadet school. After World Wars I and II, the castle was occupied by the victorious
troops of France and the U.S., respectively. Since the beginning of the 60s,
the castle has served as headquarters of the German army.
In
the old historical part of the town, many well-maintained and picturesque half-timbered
houses remind both the citizens and the visitors of the Dutch influence on Diez,
and until the very day, numerous Dutch tourists have spent their holidays on
the Diez camping site which is situated at the foot of Oranienstein castle on
the banks of the river Lahn.
It
was also because of its location on the river Lahn that Diez could grow into
an important settlement which, in the 18th century, was famous of
its trade. This tradition, however, gradually ceased when new vessels had become
too big for the small river. Nowadays, craft and tourism support trade as a
source of income for the people, and there is a steadily increasing number of
new businesses that provide jobs for highly trained employees.
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Schloss
Oranienstein, the Castle of Diez
Schloss Oranienstein
was built between 1672 and 1684 by Albertine Agnes, Princess of Nassau-Diez,
born Princess of Orange, on the ruins of the convent „Dierstein“ which had been
destroyed during the Thirty Years War. The fortress was used as residence of
the ancestors of the Netherlandish Queen.
In 1696 Princess
Amalie of Anhalt-Dessau, Albertine´s daughter-in-law, started rebuilding
Oranienstein into a baroque castle. According to the plans of the French architect
Daniel Marot the Italians Eugenio Castelli and Antonio Genone made those wondeful
stucco-works on the walls and under the ceiling which were painted by the Flemish
artist Jan van Dyk.
In 1811, Napoleon
sold all furniture and paintings of Castle Oranienstein, because Prince William
VI, the expelled Heriditarovenor of the United Netherlands, had refused to enter
Napoleon´s League of the Rhine. The Prince lost his castle and the entire
pricipality. Oranienstein became the summer residence and hunting-lodge of the
Duke of Nassau-Weilburg-Usingen who later became Grand Duke of Luxemburg.
Between 1867 and
1919 Oranienstein was a Royal Prussian Cadet School. After the First World War
this school was closed and the building was occupted by the French army.
In 1929 after having
been renovated the castle accomodated the municipal museum of the city of Diez.
as well as several schools. The National Socialists ran a boarding school in
the building between 1934 to 1945.
After the Second
World War Oranienstein was again occupied, first by American and then by French
troops. Then the castle was transferred into the property of the newly founded
Land Rheinland-Pfalz which was not in a position to finance the necessary costs
of repair.
The Federal Republic
of Germany had the Palace renovated and in May 1962 the 5th Armoured Division
took over the castle and made it ist headquaters until March 1994. Today the
34th Armoured Brigade and the Supply Batallio 310 have their headquaters in
Oranienstein.
In
1957 the foundation „Je maintiendrai Nassau“ was founded. Its aim is to take
care of all memorial buildings of the Nassau-Orangehouse. Due to a contract
between the foundation and the German Government the Nassau-Orange-Museum was
established in May 1962.
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