Mobile History
DEENFR
FortressZiegenhain

Fortress Ziegenhain

Fortress Ziegenhain
Navigate here · Google MapsApple Maps

The Fortress can be visited
Prison

Ziegenhain Fortress, a water fortress in the Schwalm-Eder district, Hesse, is an example of Baroque fortress architecture in Northern Hesse. It was the fourth-largest fortification in Hesse during the Thirty Years' War and gained fame for its impregnability, leading to the proverb “As strong as Ziegenhain.”

History+

The origins of the complex date back to around 950 with the construction of a keep. In 1144, Count Gottfried von Reichenbach-Wegebach built a new castle between the old keep and an existing circular castle, which he made his residence and after which his family was named. Werner II. von Falkenberg added “The Stone House” in 1363. After the extinction of the Counts of Ziegenhain in 1450, the county fell to Landgrave Ludwig I of Hesse, who converted the castle into a hunting lodge around 1470. Under Landgrave Philipp the Magnanimous, the complex was expanded into a strategic water fortress from 1537 to 1546.

Want to learn more about this site?

The full description is available with Premium — plus offline packages, audio guide and high-resolution images.

  • Every description, including the ~17,700 Premium sites
  • Audio guide: have descriptions read to you on location
  • AR finder: see sites through your camera, with distance and bearing
  • Unlimited saved sites
Unlock Premium14 days free

14 days free, then from €2.99 a month. Cancel anytime.

Already Premium and still locked?

Sign-in works per address. On mobilehistory.app you need to sign in once separately — your Premium then applies here too.

Sign in →

Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 50.9116, 9.2350