Zwernitz Castle

The first documented mention of Zwernitz Castle dates back to 1156 or 1163, when it was owned by the Walpoten family, who named themselves after the castle. Around 1260, the complex passed to the Counts of Orlamünde, before being sold by Count Hermann to Burgrave Friedrich III of Nuremberg in 1290. This marked the beginning of over 500 years of affiliation with the Hohenzollerns. In 1430, the castle was the scene of a truce between the Hussite leader Andreas Prokop and Burgrave Friedrich VI. During the Second Margrave War, Zwernitz was conquered and destroyed by Nuremberg troops in 1553. It suffered further destruction in 1632 during the Thirty Years' War by Croatian troops, after which Margrave Christian ordered its renewed destruction in 1634 to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.