Wachtenburg Castle

The Wachtenburg is the ruin of a spur castle on a 232 m above sea level high mountain spur on the middle Haardt, a ridge parallel to the Rhine in the district of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. The castle on the so-called "Schloßberg" directly above Wachenheim an der Weinstraße is considered the landmark of the town. Of the surrounding castles, it offers the best view over the Rhine Rift Valley.

The castle was built in the 12th century – probably by order of Konrad von Hohenstaufen – and its first documentary mention dates from 1257. In 1273, Rudolf von Habsburg bought it as a dowry for his daughter. Her son, Count Palatine Rudolf I, gave it as a sub-fief to Count Emich IV of Leiningen-Landeck in 1277.

In the war of 1375 between the Count of Leiningen and the cities of Mainz, Worms, and Speyer, the castle and the town of Wachenheim suffered great damage. The renovated castle passed to the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken-Veldenz in 1410. In 1470, it was destroyed by Elector Friedrich I during his seizure of power and later only partially rebuilt.

During the Palatinate War of Succession in 1689, French troops under General Melac blew up the keep, but half of it remained standing. The barely habitable castle later passed to the Counts of Sickingen, who sold it to the heirs of Wachenheim in 1796.

In 1864, Ludwig Heim from Wachenheim acquired the castle ruin and its properties for 8000 guilders. He carried out excavations, terraced the area, and unsuccessfully applied for a subsidy for the renovation of the Wachtenburg. In 1878, it was auctioned to a citizen of Worms, from whom Dr. Albert Bürklin bought it in 1883. His heirs gifted it to the city of Wachenheim in 1984 – exactly 100 years later. A newly founded support group leased the ruin and has been carrying out renovation measures ever since.