Sonnenberg Castle

The original castle, built even before the Montfortian division of property in 1258, came into the possession of the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. During a feud involving the Bishop of Chur, Count Hartmann of Werdenberg-Sargans, and Duke Frederick IV of Austria, both the castle and the town of Nüziders were burned down. Between 1409 and 1410, the castle was rebuilt by the bishop and received its new name “Sonnenberg,” having previously been known as “Burg Nütziders.” In 1455, the Sargans sold the castle and dominion for 15,000 gulden to Eberhard I of the House of Waldburg, who already held the dominion of Bludenz with the Montafon Valley as a pledge. A conflict erupted in 1472 when Eberhard's son Andreas of Sonnenberg severely injured a subject of Duke Sigmund of Tyrol. The Duke used this as a pretext to have Sonnenberg Castle conquered and destroyed in 1473 by Feldkirch mercenaries after a three-day siege. Andreas managed to escape to safety.