Gleichen Castle

The 34 × 35 meter leveled castle plateau overlooks the village of Obergleichen by about 15 meters and is surrounded on three sides by an artificial ring wall with a moat. The moat and the wall, which is still up to 2 meters high in parts, are clearly recognizable. No ruins or even remains of masonry are left. Presumably, the castle ruin was used as a quarry by the inhabitants of the adjacent villages after its abandonment, and the masonry was removed over the centuries as cheap building material. However, stone rubble and brick remains indicate that a solid castle structure was formerly present on the castle plateau. A recognizable depression on the site could indicate a foundation, and an existing mound is likely to be a building remnant.

The strategically excellent location of the castle hill and the wide view over the Mainhardter Wald and the Löwensteiner Berge suggest that the castle played an important role at the time of its construction. The castle was probably built as an imperial castle in the course of the Staufer administrative reform in the 12th century. It was the seat of the Gleichen lordship until its decay from 1416. It and its owners and presumed builders, the Lords of Gleichen, were first mentioned in a document in 1294 as "de Gliche". Otherwise, very little is known about this family. After their extinction or departure, the Lords of Limpurg were probably the first owners of the complex. Between 1298 and 1308, Gleichen came into the possession of the Lords of Löwenstein under King Albrecht I. In 1332, another mention of the castle is found in a document from Emperor Ludwig. Thereafter, the castle changed owners several times and finally passed into the possession of the House of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein in 1416, which remained its owner until the decay of the complex.

Until 1994, a high-level tank for Gleichen's drinking water supply stood on the castle grounds.

In Gleichen, Burgstraße and Am Burgrain commemorate the former castle.