Hohenschelklingen Castle

Hohenschelklingen Castle, also written Hohen Schelklingen, is a high medieval castle ruin near Schelklingen in the Alb-Donau-Kreis in Baden-Württemberg. The ruin is located on a mountain spur in the south of the Swabian Jura at an altitude of 621.5 m.

The castle was first mentioned in 1127 as Castro et villae Schälkalingen. At that time, it was, along with the town of Schelklingen, in the possession of the noble brothers Rüdiger, Adalbert, and Walter von Schelklingen. The builders of the castle must also have come from this family. Until the beginning of the 13th century, Walter von Schelklingen, first mentioned shortly before 1184, was still the owner of the castle and the town of Schelklingen. At the beginning of the 13th century, ownership changed through the marriage of Walter von Schelklingen's heiress daughter, Adelheid, to Count Heinrich von Berg. Around the period from 1210 to 1241, Count Heinrich III von Berg was the lord of Schelklingen Castle and town. Among other things, he is also credited with elevating Schelklingen to a town. Presumably, a castle expansion of Hohenschelklingen Castle in the outer bailey area also took place under him. After Heinrich III, his son Ulrich II von Berg (1248–1266) took over the lordship of the castle. He first appears in 1248 as Count of Berg-Schelklingen. When Urspring, today a district of Schelklingen, was destroyed in 1246/1247, a siege of the castle is assumed.

During the tenure of Count Konrad (1319–1346) of Berg-Schelklingen, the town and castle experienced their greatest heyday as a residential town and administrative center for the Counts of Berg.

In 1343, Count Konrad and his only daughter Luitgard sold the town, including the castle complex, to the Dukes Albrecht, Friedrich, Leopold, and Rudolf of Austria. Until the extinction of the Counts of Berg with Konrad von Berg-Schelklingen in April 1346, the castle was the main residence of the comital family. After that, Schelklingen lost its central function and thus the castle also lost its significance as a comital residence.

Through the pledging of the lordship of Schelklingen, the complex became the seat of the respective pledge lord. Until 1396, Konrad von Reischach was the owner. In 1396, ownership then passed to Duke Ulrich von Teck. From 1438, Burkhard von Stadion was the new pledge holder. Around 1507, King Maximilian I sold the pledged lordship to Lutz von Freyberg. At this time, however, only the watchmen were permanent castle residents. In 1530, Konrad von Bemelberg (or Konrad von Boyneburg) became the lord of the town and castle. In 1633, Hohen Schelklingen Castle was destroyed during a march by the Blaubeurers. From May 1650 to 1653, the castle was demolished and its stones were used to build the Franciscan monastery in Ehingen. The remains were left to decay, which continues to this day.

Until 1893, the castle ruin remained in aristocratic possession. In that year, the city of Schelklingen bought the 1,100 acres of forest located in its district and also the fishing waters in the Ach from the manor owner Kaulla for 175,000 Marks.

In the autumn of 1896, the castle ruin was renovated. The rubble that half-filled the keep was removed, and a staircase was installed in the keep.

In 1910, Konrad Albert Koch carried out an excavation for the castle's floor plans, after which a floor plan of Hohenschelklingen Castle could be drawn for the first time.