Michelstadt Castle

Michelstadt Castle, often and with a declining tendency also called Kellerei, is a former castle complex in Michelstadt. It emerged from a Frankish manor farm, and its predecessor building from the 10th century was destroyed in 1307. The current area was originally only the outer bailey; the former core castle is not preserved. The current complex essentially dates from the reconstruction work of the 14th century and various building measures of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The complex was purchased by the city of Michelstadt in 1970, renovated in the following years, and today houses, among other things, the Odenwald Local History and Toy Museum. The cellar of the granary occasionally serves for cultural events and various markets or as a concert hall during the "Michelstadt Music Night."

Although not confirmed by excavations or documents, it can be assumed that an Alemannic noble court originally stood on the site of the present complex. Through a donation, the Michelstadt royal estate came into the possession of Bishop Burkhart of Würzburg in 741; after his death, it returned to the crown. It likely existed as a Frankish manor farm. Einhard received the Michelstadt March for his services from Emperor Louis the Pious on January 11, 815, through a donation. Einhard himself probably had buildings and dwellings erected, so after his acquisition, the complex can be seen as a "fortified manor." He may have written parts of his main work, the Vita Karoli Magni, here. By disposition in his will, Einhard's possessions fell to Lorsch Abbey upon his death in 840. One of the abbots of this monastery, Abbot Gerbodo of Lorsch, had a stone house built there around or after 950. In the Codex Laureshamensis, the place is called castellum Michelnstat. Philipp Buxbaum found remains of a 7.40-meter-wide building in the castle courtyard during an excavation in 1938 in front of the northern, former administrative building, which was offset by about 90 degrees from it. However, he could not or would not assign the building. Another excavation in 1982 yielded no further results.

In 1307, Count Palatine Rudolf I destroyed the town and castle during the contemporary conflicts between the Electoral Palatinate and Electoral Mainz. The Electoral Palatinate regesta show that the complex had been expanded into a castle by the Michelstadt side line of the Schenken zu Erbach, which had split off in the mid-13th century. At this time, it was occupied by burgmannen. During excavations in the courtyard area of the Kellerei in 1981, a ditch was discovered, in whose backfill there was fire debris. The backfill can be chronologically reconciled with the destruction of 1307.

Although the Erbach Schenken had committed themselves in 1321 that they "should not build any castle-like structure in Michelstadt for over two years," meaning that no new complex should be built for over two years, they obviously rebuilt the castle quite quickly thereafter, as an existing castle was already reported in 1344. The builder was probably Schenk Eberhard IV. In 1388, an Irmela von Dürn, widow of a Diether Rauch, sold her property consisting of a house and courtyard in Michelstadt Castle to the Schenken of Erbach for 200 guilders. It is remarkable that although she or her husband were probably vassals of the Erbach Schenken, the property existing in the castle was an allod. This continued despite the imposed Palatine suzerainty, as in all subsequent feudal documents concerning the castle, the property sold by the widow was excluded.

From about 1390 to 1395 or about 1400, the town was surrounded by the town wall, parts of which are still preserved today, and into which the castle was incorporated to such an extent that it connected to it at two points. In 1515, Schenk Valentin moved into the castle, although he died in the same year. The complex changed noticeably with the construction of new buildings from 1517, primarily for residential and administrative purposes, probably largely under Count Georg I of Erbach. The complex was first called "Kellerei" in a document from 1532.

It is not entirely clear when the actual main castle was demolished. It is assumed that this took place around the years of the construction of the town wall, but no later than 1515. Thomas Steinmetz suspects that remains of the core castle are now located in the area of the town rampart.