Scharfenburg Castle

The first documented mention of Scharfenburg was on September 13, 1137, when a Hartung von Scharfenberg was named as a witness in a document. In the 12th century, several generations of the Scharfenberg family served the abbots of Fulda, who promoted the expansion of the castle to control the valley and trade routes. After the start of the Thuringian War of Succession in 1247 and subsequent battles and sieges, Hessian troops occupied the castle in 1260. Later, ministeriales of the Wettins, the knights of Hopfgarten and Holundern, took over the complex. Between 1300 and 1492, the castle frequently changed hands as a pledge and fief among various knights and counts. The Counts of Henneberg influenced the fate of Scharfenburg between 1329 and 1362 to expand their influence north of the Rennsteig. From the 15th century onwards, the Lords of Witzleben, von Wangenheim, and later the von Uetterodt, managed to acquire long-term possession of the castle.