Schwarzwald Castle

Schwarzwald Castle is a sectioned castle, protected by steep slopes to the north, west, and south, and still recognizable moats and ramparts. The complex extends over a length of about 250 meters and 20 to 40 meters in width on the crest of the narrow mountain spur, which projects from the Turmberg (659.2 m above sea level) in a westerly direction into the Ohratal. Access was via the hollow way still visible in the east and first led over a neck ditch cut into the rock (this is still clearly recognizable and runs in an arc, it was about 5 meters deep and wide), it was secured by the castle tower existing to the west (current remaining height about 20 meters). On the north side of this neck ditch, there is now an explanatory panel from the local history association; looking towards the village, one can still clearly see the course of a protective wall that made the castle complex inaccessible at this point. Only minor traces of the castle's buildings and fortifications remain. In the middle section of the castle, on the south side, a wall remnant about 1 meter high and still about 10 meters long can be seen along the hiking trail. Further ditches divide the western part of the castle, where the residential and commercial buildings as well as the administration were housed.

An old pass road led through the Luisenthal area towards Oberhof and Meiningen. The first documented mention dates back to 1290, when the castle was named "castrum Swarzenwalt" at the Reichstag in Erfurt. Until 1302, the castle with an associated farm in the valley belonged to the Counts of Kevernburg, was briefly acquired by the Counts of Orlamünde, then by the Counts of Schwarzburg. Around 1367, the city of Erfurt made strong efforts to purchase the castle, wanting to secure one of its most important trade routes to Franconia and save on customs and road tolls. This endeavor failed, and the castle fell to the Thuringian Landgraves. The Wettins established a Vogtship in the castle, thus founding the Amt Schwarzwald, which included the villages of Schwarzwald and Stutzhaus - today Luisenthal, Oberhof, Zella St. Blasi and Mehlis - today Zella-Mehlis, as well as hunting lodges, mines, mills, huts, and forest worker settlements. The Amt was not moved to Zella Sankt Blasii, the main town of the Amt, until 1642. After the Thirty Years' War, the castle ruin was abandoned and served as a quarry for the Schwarzwald settlement, which now expanded around the castle hill. With the construction of the railway line to Luisenthal around 1920, tourism began, making the ruin interesting again and accessible through the creation of walking paths and viewpoints.

The name Schwarzwald is to be interpreted as an early evidence of the predominant coniferous forest (spruce, fir) in this area in the Late Middle Ages.

The castle site is a protected archaeological monument. The relevant area is used for tourism and forestry.

In the western part of the castle, a small monument was erected after 1870, commemorating the Franco-Prussian War.