They belong to Christmas culture like tree decorations and stollen, those brightly colored stars with numerous tips.

Their aesthetics, which enrich churches and public places, make it easy to forget that they were originally a symbol of a persecuted Protestant sect.

An unusually large star therefore hangs in the fountain house of the two baroque buildings that are exposed on the Herrnhaag south of Büdingen.

The structure, which can have more than 30 "rays", refers beyond the symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem to its originators, the (Moravian) Brethren community founded 300 years ago in the Saxon town of Herrnhut by Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.

They chose the star as a symbol for light and the birth of Jesus, although it only took on plastic forms much later – patented.

Soon expelled, the religious community was taken in by Count Ernst Casimir of Büdingen, who settled them in the Marienborn estate and in Ronneburg before he gave permission in 1738 to build his own settlement.

Designed according to the biblical vision of "Jerusalem on the mountain", 17 stately houses in the Saxon Baroque style with high mansard roofs grew, including workshops such as that of the furniture maker Abraham Roentgen.

1000 believers lived in the buildings separated according to marital status.

There was room for up to 4,000, the Grafenhaus alone offered room for 800 believers.

Meetings and services were held there.

There was no need for a church because the way of life was aimed at uniting with Jesus.

The "early Christian community"

This sometimes took on ecstatic forms of piety, which even called Zinzendorf, who was only occasionally present, onto the scene.

It didn't help, all sorts of talk offered the new Büdinger Count Gustav Friedrich a welcome opportunity to make further toleration dependent on breaking away from the charismatic father.

Since this was rejected, as expected, he expelled the "early Christian community" from the country in 1750.

After that, the complex quickly fell into disrepair, only two buildings survived and have been restored in painstaking work by returning descendants for years.

The "sisters' house" is finished, the "Count's house" will take years to complete.

From the Herrnhaag you can clearly see the silhouette of the Ronneburg.

There, however, nothing is reminiscent of the Moravians, apart from a few yellowed documents in the (later named) Zinzendorfsaal.

As a "sanctuary of faith", the castle is still awaiting appropriate recognition, especially as it enjoys a national reputation as one of the best examples of the transition from the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

Little has changed since it was expanded into a prestigious residential and administrative center in the 16th century, or thanks to lengthy renovation work it was able to be restored to its former condition - from the soot-blackened kitchen to ornamental and biblical paintings in the four-storey rooms that can be visited.

Like the 32 meter high keep, they are also open when the medieval Christmas market is held on the second and third weekend in Advent.

Directions

Altwiedermus, a district of the art community of Ronneburg, is well suited for a connecting loop from Herrnhaag and Ronneburg.

When arriving by bus, get off at the Ronneburger Straße station;

Drivers should use the opposite parking lot in front of the driveway to the castle.

From the bus stop, keep to the right and immediately right again into the street Herrnwiese to the end, left, right and cross the country street that leads there.

Over there we thread our way into the cycle/footpath next to the road in the direction of Diebach.

Instead of the asphalt strip, it is more attractive to walk along forest paths over the heights.

To do this, turn left at the parking strip after 500 meters onto the field path towards the forest in order to enter it behind a small (private) pond with right-left bends.