Lichtenstein Castle

Lichtenstein Castle was constructed around the year 1200. It served as the ancestral seat of the Lords of Lichtenstein and was strategically important for securing the route between Speyer and Kaiserslautern. Its first documented mention appears in connection with Cuonradus de Lichtenstein. In 1281, the castle was destroyed by troops from Speyer, led by Johann von Lichtenstein, a relative of the castle lords. The then-lords of the castle, Albrecht and Konrad von Lichtenstein, had been accused of brigandage and plundering possessions of the episcopal city of Speyer. The complex was not rebuilt; instead, Neidenfels Castle was constructed opposite. Between 1838 and 1849, the ruin served as a quarry for railway construction.