Editing Colditz Castle (section)

== Original castle ==
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[[File:Schloss colditz wappen b.jpg|thumb|Coat of arms of [[Augustus, Elector of Saxony|Augustus of Saxony]] and his wife [[Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony|Anne of Denmark]] over the gate to the outer courtyard]]
[[File:Entrance of Colditz Castle chapel b.jpg|thumb|The [[Mannerism|mannerist]] portal ([[Tuff#Rhyolitic tuff|rhyolitic tuff]]) of the church house carved by Andreas Walther II during 1584]]

In 1046, [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] gave the [[Burgher (social class)|burghers]] of Colditz permission to build the first documented settlement at the site. During 1083, [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]] urged [[Margrave]] [[Wiprecht of Groitzsch]] to develop the castle site, which Colditz accepted. During 1158, [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Frederick Barbarossa]] made Thimo I "Lord of Colditz", and major building works began. By 1200, the town around the market was established. Forests, empty meadows, and farmland were settled next to the pre-existing [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] villages [[Großbothen|Zschetzsch]], [[Zschadraß]], Zollwitz, Terpitzsch and Koltzschen. Around that time the larger villages Hohnbach, [[Thierbaum]], [[Löbau-Zittau|Ebersbach]] and [[Saale-Holzland|Tautenhain]] also developed.

During the [[Middle Ages]], the castle was used as a lookout post for the [[List of German Kings and Emperors|German Emperors]] and was the hub of the [[Reich]] territories of the [[Altenburg|Pleissenland]] (anti-[[Meißen]] [[Altenburger Land|Pleiße-lands]]). During 1404, the nearly 250-year rule of the dynasty of the [[:de:Colditz_(Adelsgeschlecht)|Lords of Colditz]] ended when Thimo VIII sold Colditz Castle for 15,000 silver [[Mark (weight)|marks]] to the [[Wettin (dynasty)|Wettin]] ruler of the period in [[Saxony]].

As a result of family dynastic politics, the town of Colditz was incorporated into the [[Margraviate of Meissen]]. During 1430, the [[Hussites]] attacked Colditz and set town and castle on fire. Around 1464, renovation and new building work on the castle were done by order of [[Ernest, Elector of Saxony|Prince Ernest]], who died in Castle Colditz in 1486. During the reigns of Electors [[Frederick III, Elector of Saxony|Frederick III the Wise]] and [[John, Elector of Saxony|John the Gentle]], Colditz was a royal residence of the [[Rulers of Saxony|electors of Saxony]].