Veldenstein Castle

The exact construction date of Veldenstein Castle is not definitively confirmed, but much suggests its construction in 1008, possibly commissioned by the Bishop of Eichstätt to secure the diocese's border. It was first documented in 1269 as "novum castrum" and by then already belonged to the Diocese of Bamberg, serving as an administrative seat. From 1323, it bore the name Veldenstein. Initially managed by simple farmers as officials, who also owned the surrounding castle farms, the castle was small at this time. In the 14th century, nobles such as the Lords of Stör, Egloffstein, and Wiesenthau took over its administration as a fief. In the early 15th century, Hans von Egloffstein built the inner castle. Under Bishop Philipp von Henneberg (1475–1487), the castle underwent massive expansion with the construction of the outer castle and the battlement zwinger, becoming the bishops' residential castle. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle changed hands multiple times and was occupied by Brandenburgers, Nurembergers, Swedes, and Bavarians. After the return of the Bamberg bishops, the castle was largely destroyed by a lightning strike in 1708 and fell into disrepair.