Lichtenberg Castle

Lichtenberg Castle was first documented in 1197. In the 13th century, the Lords of Lichtenberg controlled a territory around Großbottwar. Members of this family held high ecclesiastical offices, including Sibotho as Bishop of Speyer (1302–1314) and Hermann as Chancellor to Louis the Bavarian and Bishop of Würzburg (1333–1335). The family died out in 1407. Earlier, in 1357, the castle was sold to Count Eberhard the Quarrelome. From 1361, the castle was a fief of the Bohemian Crown, a dependency that lasted until 1805. Since 1483, the castle has been held as a sub-fief by the von Weiler family, who still reside there. In 1945, the castle suffered damage from artillery fire but was renovated in 1956.