Seebach Castle

The origins of Seebach Castle date back to 1227, when it was presumably built by Lutz von Seebach on behalf of the Archbishops of Mainz. Originally a Mainz fief, the castle passed into Saxon possession in the mid-16th century and frequently served as collateral. In 1307, the Archbishop of Mainz pledged half of the complex to the brothers Albert and Hermann von Sebeche. Following the childless death of Wolf von Seebach in 1522, the last of his lineage at the castle, the estate passed to Günther von Bünau in 1523 through the marriage of his sister Brigitta. In the same year, von Bünau sold the fief for 6,000 guilders to Hans Sittich von Berlepsch. During the Peasants' War in May 1525, the castle was plundered and destroyed by rebellious peasants and citizens from Mühlhausen. After his liberation by the Duke of Saxony, Hans von Berlepsch was again enfeoffed with the property in 1527 and rebuilt the castle.