Wielandstein Castle

The Wielandstein ruin is a group of castles, which today consists of the ruins of Hinterer Wielandstein, Zwischen-Wielandstein, Mittlerer Wielandstein, Alt-Wielandstein, and Vorderer Wielandstein. They are located on a rock ridge of the Wielandstein above the Tobeltal valley, about 2000 meters southeast of Oberlenningen, a district of the municipality of Lenningen, in the Esslingen district in Baden-Württemberg.

The first castles of the group, Alt-Wielandstein and Hinterer Wielandstein, were built around 1150, and since 1240, the Lords of Wielandstein, knightly vassals of the Dukes of Teck, are mentioned, who abandoned the castle around 1330. In 1386, the castle became the property of the Counts of Württemberg and in 1478 it was transferred to the noble family Schilling as free property. At this time, significant parts were already uninhabitable, and the castle continued to decay. In 1525, the castle was completely destroyed in the Peasants' War and in 1553 it came into the possession of the municipality of Oberlenningen, which used the dilapidated masonry as a quarry. From 1976 to 1979, the remains of the castle were excavated by the municipality of Lenningen.