Löwenstein Castle

The origins of Löwenstein Castle date back to the early 13th century, with its completion in 1236 by Werner II von Bischoffshausen. He held the castle as a fief from the Landgraves of Thuringia. Around 1250, Werner was appointed regional judge in Lower Hesse and supported Duchess Sophie of Brabant in the struggle for the Landgraviate of Hesse. The castle was named in honor of Werner's wife, Gertrud von Itter, whose coat of arms featured a lion. The family's descendants took their name from the castle. In the 14th century, the complex comprised an extensive outer bailey and a higher-lying main castle with five manor houses, a chapel, and a 26-meter-high keep. The castle served as an administrative center and for monitoring the trade route from Kassel to Frankfurt.