Hoheneck Castle

The former small castle town of Hoheneck has been a district of the district capital Ludwigsburg since 1926. Hoheneck is located northeast of the city center between Favoritepark and the left bank of the Neckar.

Traces of a former villa rustica (Roman manor) from Roman times can be found in Hoheneck. A brick kiln was apparently still in operation at the end of the 2nd century AD.

In the Middle Ages, Hoheneck is first mentioned as a castle at the "high corner". The castle was probably built around 1200 by the Margraves of Baden, who enfeoffed the noble free knightly family of Hacken with it. In 1252, a knight Wolfram von Hoheneck, "Wolframus miles de Hohennegk", is mentioned. The seal of a "Cunradus Hagonis de Hoheneg" is found on a document from 1254. The first mention of a settlement near the castle "Hohenegge" dates to 1291. Through marriage, a Johann von Rechberg apparently also temporarily came into possession of parts of the castle and the town. Around 1440, he had the settlement walled with three gates and connected to the castle by two connecting walls. In 1345, the Hacken von Hoheneck elevated the place to a town with the consent of the Baden Margraves. After the Württembergers, with their determined territorial policy, had already acquired rights to the castle and the town in 1360, which they continued to pledge to the Hacken, Hoheneck probably passed completely into the possession of the Counts of Württemberg at the end of the 14th century. The castle was apparently no longer used and fell into disrepair. Under Württemberg rule, the Hoheneck office was formed. This included Neckarweihingen and Hochberg, among others. In 1551, the office was subordinated to the chief bailiff in Marbach. In 1559, a suburb in front of the Vorderes Tor, approximately at today's Brunnengasse, was mentioned. In the back area near the church were two wine presses and a rectory. The town hall was housed on the upper floor in one of the wine presses.

The promontory near the ruin on the Schlossberg offers views over the loops of the Neckar, the surrounding vineyards, and Ludwigsburg and its residential palace.