Old Castle (Büdesheim)

The Alte Schloss (also Bruderhof or Brendelstein) in Büdesheim, municipality of Schöneck in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, is a Renaissance castle complex that dates back to an older Benedictine manor.

Between the castles of Windecken and Niederdorfelden, another early moated castle was located on the Nidder in Büdesheim. The builders are unknown. The complex came as a donation to the Michelsberg Monastery in Bamberg around 1017 and was presumably converted into a fortified courtyard by the Benedictines.

The courtyard, together with the village of Büdesheim, belonged to the Freigericht Kaichen, which came under the sovereignty of the Burgraviate of Friedberg in the 15th century. In 1554, the monastery sold the complex, by then known as Bruderhof, to the Friedberg burgrave Johann Brendel von Homburg. Around 1558, he had the current castle built, incorporating some older building parts. In 1569, the castle came into the possession of the Schütz von Holzhausen family. Renovations took place in 1680, and in 1760, it passed to the Hanau-Münzenberg chamber president Philipp Reinhard Freiherr von Edelsheim. In 1885, the Neue Schloss was built south of the complex. After several changes of ownership, it now belongs to the municipality of Schöneck, which uses it primarily for cultural purposes after a major renovation.