Insider Tips
Danish Dog writes World History
There is a painting in the old Hanseatic City of Rostock which shows an allegedly Danish dog which intervened world history – at least according to legend. The Hundsburg castle (dog’s castle) on the river Warnow was named after it.
The perceived image of Hundsburg castle, built around 1266, can be seen on the nine metres long painting which depicts the foundation history of the Order of Cistercians „Zum Heiligen Kreuz“ on the Universitätsplatz square. It is situated in the east cloister of what is nowadays the Kulturhistorisches Museum. The Danish queen Margarete Sambiria (born 1230; died 1282 in Rostock) is portrayed who allegedly once became stranded in the river Warnow during a storm on her way back to Denmark after a pilgrimage to the pope. Supposingly, Hundsburg castle was built on the Warnow river bank where the queen’s dog reached safety after falling overboard. A white dog on the painting represents the royal pet.
Even nowadays, a look at old maps and aerial images makes it clear that the control of navigation was notably easy from a castle at this narrow site of the river. Hundsburg hill, within the boundaries of the abbey in Schmarl, belonged to the town of Rostock. It was aquired by the monastery in 1307 in order to prevent construction of a new castle. In 1582, the last remains of the Hundsburg wall were supposingly taken to Warnemünde and used for building the port. Allegedly, remains of the wall can still be found within the hill and in Warnemünde.
According to the probably faked and back dated to 22. September 1270 foundation certificate of the abbey „Zum Heiligen Kreuz“, Margarete wanted an abbey built on the grounds of the already existing Hundsburg castle to express her gratitude for her rescue. From more than one side the queen was talked out of the idea and convinced to build on the outskirts of Rostock where the abbey can still be visited today. Queen Margarete spent her last living years in the abbey „Zum Heiligen Kreuz“. She died in Rostock in 1282 and was buried in the Doberaner Minster near Rostock. The dog was immortalised by the painting …
Photos:
(1) Hund auf dem Stiftungsbild im Kloster Zum Heiligen Kreuz, Foto: Hartmut Schmied, www.cryptoneum.de
(2) Gelände der früheren Hundsburg am Fluss Warnow zwischen Rostock und Warnemünde, Foto: Hartmut Schmied, www.cryptoneum.de
(3) Schwimmender Hund, Foto: Hartmut Schmied, www.cryptoneum.de
