Weapons and Armour at Marksburg Castle

There were a couple of rooms in the Marksburg Castle with interesting displays of the weaponry and armour used through the centuries.

The highlight of this part of the castle was the Armoury which is home to the “Gimbel Collection,” a display of twelve life-sized figurines from 1880 which demonstrates the changes made to armour and weaponry from ancient to early modern times. The armour on display consists of extremely detailed replicas as well as original pieces.

The figures, designed by Karl Gimbel, a collector of arms in 1880 in Baden-Baden, had been purchased in 1905 for the visit of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. They were brought to Marksburg Castle to give the castle a knightly atmosphere.

Later the collection was displayed in the Rhine Building, to show the development of armour throughout 2000 years of history. Then about 10 years ago, the castle administration decided to restore the figures in this new exhibition and presentation. I found it fascinating. As you walk around the room, you see examples of armour from different places and from each time period. Here are a few photos: