Lobdeburg Castle

The Lobdeburg is a castle ruin between Lobeda and Drackendorf, districts of Jena. The name Lobdeburg is claimed by three different structures, namely the upper, middle, and lower castles. The middle of the three castles is considered the actual Lobdeburg.

The middle Lobdeburg is situated on a spur of the Wöllmisse, a plateau between the towns of Lobeda and Bürgel. From here, the middle Saale valley, Rodatal, and Leutratal could be monitored. The upper Lobdeburg, actually only an outer bailey to seal off the main castle from the plateau, is only preserved in the form of the remains of a ring wall. The lower Lobdeburg is no longer visible today. It was most likely located at the lower end of the Lobeda market. In modern times, the name was transferred to the former Thünaische Gut, which is now located on the northeastern edge of the town. Further castles were built in the immediate vicinity of the town of Lobeda in Kunitz (Kunitzburg), Burgau, and near Kahla (Leuchtenburg). The Tautenburg also seems to be a Lobdeburg foundation; at least the lordship of Dornburg-Tautenburg was a Reichsfief in Lobdeburg hands in the 13th century.