Tautenburg Castle

The first documented mention of Tautenburg Castle occurred in 1223. This document refers to the nobles Tuto von Tautenburg and his son of the same name, as well as other relatives. The name Tuto was the leading name of the lineage and gave the castle its name. Shortly thereafter, even before 1232, the castle came into the possession of the Schenken von Vargula, who were enfeoffed with Tautenburg by Emperor Frederick II in 1243 and named a collateral line after the castle. In 1343, the Tautenburger family had to hold their castle as a fief from the Counts of Schwarzburg, and two years later from the Wettins. The younger line of the Schenken residing here died out in 1640.