2023-12-07 18:34:12
When looking at older photographs, compared to the current state, one might hardly suspect that one is looking at the lake at Goldberg near Heusenstamm. Where until the mid-seventies there was the hustle and bustle of bathing and the noise of engines on a motocross track, the flora and fauna now remain undisturbed. Since it was designated as a protected area in 1977, the former gravel pit has been transformed into a small natural paradise, whose extensive shallow water zones with their reed walls offer ideal retreats and nesting areas for birds.
Just twelve hectares were enough to make the area, together with the equally renatured pond to the south, one of the most important bird protection areas in Hesse. There are now more than 50 resident species and around 160 migrants. Kingfisher, water rail, red-backed shrike, Canada goose and the rare little ringed plover have already been spotted. The vegetation-free period in winter offers particularly good observation opportunities. In addition to the obvious animals such as swans and gray herons, a large colony of cormorants stands out, whose feathers are spread out to dry and allow other birds to keep a respectful distance.
The former gravel pit was once owned by the Counts of Schönborn. When the castle was sold to the city in 1977, the water also changed hands. After extensive restoration work, the elongated Renaissance building on the foundations of a partially preserved moated castle has become a gem complete with a well-kept park. Today the city administration has its headquarters here.
Photo gallery
Goldberg in Heusenstamm: cormorants instead of gravel pit
The area of a medieval moated castle, of which the ban tower still stands, was bought in 1661 by Philipp Erwein von Schönborn, brother of the Archbishop of Mainz, and was expanded into a – albeit unfinished – Renaissance castle. A man from Schönborn, Eugen Erwein, is also responsible for the gate building, which is unique in the Rhine-Main area and was built based on an ancient model. This commemorates Emperor Franz I’s stay of several days in 1764 around the coronation celebrations of his son Joseph in Frankfurt.
The St. Cäcilia church behind it was built around 1740 as a memorial and burial place for the Schönborn residents. It bears the unmistakable signature of Balthasar Neumann with a half-set tower on the portal side and the longitudinal and central space connected to form a unit. The crypt contains the heart of Countess Maria Theresia, who died in 1751. In 1741 she acquired the Patershäuser Hof, which had served as a Cistercian monastery for over three centuries, rebuilt it in Baroque style and turned it into a model agricultural estate. The city has followed this since it was purchased in 1970 and has the property, which lies in the middle of magnificent forests, treated ecologically.
Directions
Since Heusenstamm was connected to the S-Bahn network, the station area has gained a lot – the station has been renovated, the forecourt has been generously expanded, and there is plenty of parking space on both sides. A few steps to the left you come to the lime tree avenue leading towards the castle with its restored broderie beds and duck-filled pools. The axis continues under the west wing across the inner courtyard to the ban tower of the medieval moated castle.
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