Neipperg Castle

The origins of Neipperg Castle date back to the 12th century. The tower of the Upper Castle was built around 1220, with its arcaded windows possibly designed by craftsmen from the workshop of Maulbronn Monastery. The complex likely served from the outset as the seat of the Neipperg family, first documented in 1241. In 1304/06, the brothers Konrad and Wilhelm von Neipperg received the castle, including vineyards and fields, as a fief from the Diocese of Würzburg, a possession their father Warmundus probably already held. In the 14th century, ownership of the castle was highly fragmented. Shares changed hands, including to the Counts of Württemberg. Reinbot von Neipperg managed to reacquire some of these shares in the mid-14th century. Until the 16th century, Neipperg Castle was a main residence of the family, before it was moved to Klingenberg Castle and later to Schwaigern Castle. In the 19th century, around 1850, the complex was converted into a farmstead under Count Alfred von Neipperg, with the construction of farm buildings and a tenant's dwelling.