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CastleKamp-Bornhofen
Sterrenberg Castle
Sterrenberg Castle, a ruin of a hilltop castle, is situated on the right bank of the Rhine near Kamp-Bornhofen in the Middle Rhine Valley. Together with the neighboring Liebenstein Castle, it forms the “feuding brothers” and is considered the oldest preserved castle complex in this region after the disappearance of the old Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Since 2002, it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
History+
The first mention of Sterrenberg as an imperial castle in 1034 is not confirmed. In Werner von Bolanden's feudal register, it is listed as an imperial fief in 1190, which also included the customs duties in Bornhofen. The Lords of Bolanden owned the castle until the second half of the 13th century and appointed knightly families such as the Lords of Sternberg and the Schenk von Sterrenberg as its garrison. The keep and the inner curtain wall date from this period. At the end of the 13th century, part of the castle became an imperial pledge to the Counts of Katzenelnbogen. The Counts of Sponheim and Albrecht Count of Löwenstein also appear as owners. By 1310 at the latest, the Archbishop and Elector of Trier, Balduin of Luxembourg, received Sterrenberg Castle as an imperial pledge. After disputes with Count Diether VI of Katzenelnbogen, which Balduin won in 1315, Sterrenberg became the center of the Trier electorate's possessions until the mid-14th century.
Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BurgSterrenberg.jpg
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: 50.2139, 7.6332