Old Castle Schwarzenau

The Old Castle (today Mainstraße 23) is a former noble residence in Schwarzenau in the Lower Franconian district of Kitzingen. In the 16th century, another castle, the so-called New Castle, was built near the residence.

The Old Castle was probably built as early as 1493. The medieval noble residence was the core of the place that later came into the possession of the Counts of Henneberg. The Hennebergs subsequently enfeoffed the village to several noble families. At the end of the 16th century, Valentin Echter von Mespelbrunn, the brother of the Würzburg bishop Julius, came into possession of the Henneberg fief. He rebuilt the Old Castle, but also had the New Castle built near the Laurentius Church. Most recently, the Lords of Erthal resided in the Old Castle, under whom the New Castle was built in its present form. The Old Castle lost its representative character in the 18th century and was converted into a rural farmstead. Due to its size, the castle remained an important focal point for the village community even in the 19th century. A guesthouse was housed here for a long time, and in 1907 a postal auxiliary office opened here. From 1920 to 1927, there was a police station. Today, the former castle is owned by the Ungemach family.

The Old Castle presents itself today as an elongated, two-story building with a gable roof and is classified as a listed building. As a special feature, a large round-arched gate with tracery was installed on the Main side. Several outbuildings were arranged around the main building, forming a rectangular inner courtyard. Towards the street, the building is structured by nine window axes. The double windows of the upper floor, designed with Gothic frames and central columns, indicate the great age of the building. The facade is structured only by a stone eaves cornice. In addition, corner pilasters made of regularly shaped ashlar were attached. The color scheme above the passage is of more recent date. In addition to the year 1493, an imaginative coat of arms (a bend sinister, charged with three golden stars) was painted, crowned by an eagle as a crest. The complex was renovated in the 21st century.