Minneburg Castle

The origins of Minneburg are not fully clear, but its creation is presumed to be in the context of the Staufer period, possibly by Staufer ministeriales. A first confirmed mention dates back to 1339, when Eberhardt Rüdt von Collenberg acquired the complex and its associated lands through marriage. As early as 1349, the castle passed into the possession of Ruprecht I of the Palatinate. The Electorate of the Palatinate pledged Minneburg to various noble families. The castle underwent reconstruction starting in 1518 (or 1521), when Wilhelm von Habern received it as a hereditary fief and transformed it into a core castle with a palas and a fortification. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was besieged by Tilly's troops in 1622 and partially destroyed after bombardment. Afterward, it served as a quarry.