Steinegg Castle

The origins of Steinegg Castle lie in a high medieval hilltop castle that stood on a terraced hill behind the current structure. Adalbert von Steinegg, a ministerialis of the Counts of Calw, is considered its builder. In 1324, the hilltop castle and its dominion passed to Wolf I. vom Stain. Following the suppression of the Schleglerbund, the dominion and the castle were sold to Dieter von Gemmingen, who moved into Schleglerschloss. His son, also named Dieter, built a new castle below the old hilltop castle, of which only foundations remain today. He also received several villages and forest areas as a fief. The castle served as the seat of the Lords of Gemmingen-Steinegg and evolved from a fortified complex into a palace. A castle chapel was added around 1520, followed by the Hamberg Forest Chapel in the early 18th century. The last resident, Julius von Gemmingen-Steinegg, left the castle in 1835 and handed it over to his sons Eduard and Gustav.