CastleLichtentanne - Schönfels

Schönfels Castle

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A hilltop castle in the municipality of Lichtentanne, Burg Schönfels, rises on a diabase rock spur. Originally built in the 12th century as a center of colonization and a feudal seat, it now stands as a testament to late Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

History+

As early as between 929 and 980, Henry I is said to have built a defensive structure here against the Wends, on whose foundations the present castle later arose. The first documentary mentions of the Lords of Schönfels, as "von Schoninvels," date from 1225. After 1200, the bailiffs of Gera and Plauen held the castle as a fief, a rule that lasted until the Vogtland War in 1354 and beyond. In 1398, after the death of Henry IV Reuß of Plauen, the complex fell to the Wettins. In 1459, the von Weißenbach family acquired the castle, holding it for the longest period.

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: Mobile Geschichte

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 50.6754, 12.4009