Naumburg Castle

Naumburg Castle is the ruin of a hilltop castle near Bärenbach in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The remains of the former castle complex are located on a hill in the Naheland region on Federal Highway 41 between Idar-Oberstein and Kirn.

Naumburg Castle (=Neuenburg) received its name as a new foundation of the Kyrburg Castle above Kirn or the Hachenfels fortress. The first mention was probably in 1146, when Raugraf Emicho called himself "Count of Nuenburc". 50 years later, Werner von Bolanden claimed that he had been enfeoffed by Duke Konrad with "Nuenburg iuxta Kirberg" Castle, which, however, was only a temporary possession.

In 1323, Raugraf Konrad V of the Stolzenberg line then pledged the "Veste Nuenburg bei Kyr" to Archbishop Balduin of Trier for 600 pounds Heller. However, Raugraf Heinrich of the Altenbaumburg line stipulated in his will in 1325 in favor of his wife and children, as well as in favor of his stepdaughter's husband, Count Philipp von Sponheim-Bolanden, regarding his allod. This included Nauwenborg Castle, Becherbach, Merxheim, Solzbach, Lembach, Leybelbach, as well as villages and courts.

Since the financial situation of the Raugrafen was always poor, they gradually sold off their possessions. Raugraf Georg II (of Stolzenberg) pledged half of Nunburg Castle to Count Walram von Sponheim in 1349. Raugraf Ruprecht IV (of Altenbaumburg) did the same in 1362 with the villages of Becherbach, Limbach, Sulzbach, and Hof Gauschisberg.

The final cession then took place in 1381 by Raugraf Heinrich V, the last of the Altenbaumburg line, to Count Simon III of Sponheim. After that, the castle was only an administrative seat, and the Naumburg office formed an accessory of the anterior County of Sponheim. It comprised the courts of Becherbach, Bärenbach, Martin-Weierbach, shares in Oberreidenbach and Löllbach, as well as Hintersassen in several localities.

In the division of 1707, the office was assigned to the Baden share. In 1776, the administrative seat was moved to Herrstein. The French destroyed the castle in 1803. From 1986 to 1994, extensive securing and excavation work was carried out.

Today, only a few foundation walls of the former castle complex are still visible.