Hohenrechberg Castle

Hohenrechberg was built as a spur castle on the Hohenrechberg mountain, which forms together with the Hohenstaufen Mountain and Stuifen the Three Emperors Mountains, just a few kilometers next to the family seat Hohenstaufen castle of the Staufer dynasty.

The ruined castle is one of the top tourist destinations in the region Ostwürttemberg, open to visitors with a little exhibition and equipped with a restaurant and café in the bailey, providing an extraordinary view on the Swabian Forest towards the north and on the Swabian Jura towards the south.

Although the first written proof for 'Hohenrechberg' cannot earlier be found than 1274, experts estimate that the oldest parts of Hohenrechberg castle date back as far as the beginning of the 13th century. Typical for this Staufer dominated period, one can find a lot of humped ashlar masonry surrounding the inner courtyard of the castle.

Hohenrechberg castle was governed by the knights of Hohenrechberg, who served as ministeriales for the Staufer (Hohenstaufen) dynasty.

The castle was constantly enlarged, renovated and adapted to military developments. In the 13th century it received a ring wall with Romanesque window arcades. A second and third defence wall of stones with staircase tower and maschikuli tower, a rare type of defence architecture in Southern Germany, followed throughout the centuries. The lower floor of the gate house was in certain times used as prison. Here, and at many more places a row of late medieval stirrup embrasures can be found. The outer bailey, nowadays partly used as restaurant and café, consisted of a hidden tower storage, a staple, an apartment and of further rooms and fortifications. The former houses inside the inner castle ring wall have been destroyed on the 6th of January 1865, when a lightning strike hit and burned down the castle. Parts of the buildings have been reconstructed. The Eastern House obtained a new roof and is now used for weddings and parties and contains a little exhibition with castle models and archaeological artefacts.

Hohenrechberg castle remained with a few short intervals in family possession by the Rechbergians until 1986. The intervals consisted of the occupations of the castle from 1554 to 1555, from 1599 to 1601 and from 1633 to 1634 by the Duke of Württemberg. In 1648, the castle was attacked, plundered and heavily devastated by French troops.

In the end of the 18th century, it had to be opened for Napoleon Bonaparte's Rhine troops: For the 1st of August 1796 it is reported that General Jean Victor Marie Moreau had a big dinner with eight other generals of his army, more than 40 officers and a couple of other people on the castle.

In World War II American troops got hold of the ruined castle for a couple of months. In 1986 it was sold to Hans Bader, a factory owner from the nearby town Göppingen. After he died in 2006, the Rechberg Stiftung Hans Bader, a private foundation, became the owner.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Schlossberg 1, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)