Stapelburg Castle (Ruin)

The Counts of Wernigerode had Stapelburg Castle built before the year 1306. It served to protect the military road connecting their ancestral castle with Goslar. In 1394, the Bishopric of Halberstadt acquired the castle for 600 marks, after it had been pledged several times. In 1432, Bishop Johannes of Halberstadt pledged the castle to Count Botho of Stolberg. Later, the castle was redeemed by the Bishopric of Halberstadt and re-pledged to Heinrich von Bila, who was the last pledge holder until 1463. Afterwards, Count Heinrich (the Elder) of Stolberg received the castle for 200 Rhenish guilders for life. Around 1509, when the castle was already in considerable disrepair, Count Heinrich and his son Botho committed to Archbishop Ernst of Magdeburg to rebuild it within eight years. In 1559, Archbishop Sigismund of Magdeburg installed Dr.