Schauenburg Castle

The Schauenburg is the ruin of a hilltop castle on a 367 m above sea level spur terrace in the Renchtal above Gaisbach, a district of the city of Oberkirch, in the Ortenaukreis in Baden-Württemberg.

The spur castle was built in the 11th century by Duke Berthold II of Zähringen and first mentioned in 1120. Duke Welf VI, a brother of Henry the Proud of Bavaria, received the Schauenburg in 1131 as a dowry from his wife Uta, Countess of Eberstein and granddaughter of Count Palatine Gottfried of Calw. Count Gottfried was married to a Luitgard of Zähringen, who brought him the Schauenburg. With Uta of Schauenburg, the castle possesses a famous personality. Uta's brother Eberhard of Eberstein was a co-founder of the Allerheiligen Monastery, so she bequeathed the Schauenburg to him, as reported by the Sindelfinger Chronicle. The owners were now the Lords of Eberstein, until Wolf of Eberstein had to sell it in 1386 along with his half of the County of Eberstein to Rudolf VII of Baden. After the death of Ludwig Winterbach of Schauenburg, the last of his line, Heinrich Truchsess of Höfingen was to be enfeoffed by the Margrave with Ludwig's share of the castle. However, the other families of Schauenburg, who had also been enfeoffed with parts of the castle, resisted and invoked their status as a Ganerbenburg (jointly inherited castle). This led to the feud of the Lords of Schauenburg with Bernhard of Baden in the years 1402 and 1403, which they were able to win. After the Ebersteins, the castle passed to the Grand Duchy of Baden. The castle was besieged several times, but only captured twice. For the expansion of Gaisbacher Castle in the 17th century, stones from the castle were used. After various destructions (presumably in 1689 under the generals Vauban and Melac), the former castle has been a well-maintained ruin since the 18th century.