Stein Castle

The origins of Burg Stein date back to the early 13th century, with construction beginning around 1200 on a hornblende rock. This oldest part, today's Oberburg with its keep, palas, and defensive walls, still shows Romanesque features. The castle was first documented in 1233 under the sovereignty of the Burgraves of Meissen, with Knight Heidenreich von Grünhain as the first known owner. In the 14th century, the castle lords were notorious as robber knights. From 1406, the fiefdom passed to the Schönburg family. One of the most famous episodes is the Saxon Princely Abduction of 1455, in which Kunz von Kaufungen kidnapped Princes Ernst and Albrecht, with Prince Ernst hidden in a nearby cave. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the castle was besieged by its serfs until Ernst II von Schönburg returned with his forces and ended the siege.