The remains of the Castle can be visited
RuinAltenstein
Altenstein Castle (Ruin)
Altenstein Castle is a castle ruin in Altenstein (Maroldsweisach market) in the Haßberge district of Lower Franconia. The ancestral seat of the Barons von Stein zu Altenstein, a family that died out in the 19th century, is located about 40 kilometers north of Bamberg and has been under the care of the Haßberge district since the late 20th century. The castle complex, which is freely accessible during the day, was renovated around the turn of the millennium and made accessible for castle research.
The ruin of the hilltop castle lies dominantly above the village of the same name on a ridge (approx. 452 meters above sea level) of the Haßberge between Ebern and Maroldsweisach. The castle hill rises about 150 meters above the Weisach valley. The elongated ridge bears several other fortifications in addition to Altenstein Castle.
About two kilometers south of the ruin, two other archaeological sites are hidden in the forest on the eastern slope (Alte Burg (Altenstein) and Alte Burg (Hafenpreppach)). Another four kilometers south, the large double castle Lichtenstein stands on the edge of the valley. The rock castle site Teufelsstein, located below Lichtenstein Castle, is considered the presumed ancestral seat of the two lines of the Lords von Stein. Above the Ebern district of Eyrichshof, the historically significant remains of Rotenhan Castle, one of the few true rock castles in Germany, have been preserved.
The castle was the ancestral seat of the Lords von Stein zu Altenstein. The Stein family had split into two lines around 1200. The Stein von Lichtenstein resided at Lichtenstein Castle, located about five kilometers south on the same ridge. The origin of this family is presumed to be at Teufelsstein, a rock castle site below Lichtenstein Castle.
The originally noble family soon had to submit to the feudal sovereignty of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. From the early 14th century, the Altensteiners only appeared as Würzburg, and occasionally Bamberg, vassals, but also held fiefs from the monasteries of Banz and Langheim.
The castle first appeared indirectly in written sources in 1225. A document from that time mentions a "Marquard Magnus de antiquo lapide", meaning Marquard the Great of or to the old stone. Seven years later (1231), the castle was mentioned directly for the first time as castrum with ecclesia (church).
In the following centuries, the complex developed into a typical Ganerbenburg, i.e., the castle was jointly inhabited by several family branches. In 1296, eight families already lived in the fortress above the Weisach valley. As one of the earliest mentions of a Ganerbschaft, this tradition is of particular interest for castle research. A castle peace treaty from 1441 names ten brothers and cousins from a total of five families, each inhabiting their own Kemenaten (stone houses).
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Altenstein family was able to establish a small dominion around their ancestral castle. For this purpose, the scattered allodial possessions of the family were consolidated. The preserved elaborate architectural forms of the castle still bear witness to the economic success of the castle lords of that time.
In 1525, Altenstein was damaged during the Peasants' War. In 1549, Emperor Charles V enfeoffed the Altensteiners with high jurisdiction. The castle lords were allowed, by virtue of the Malefizrecht, to erect a gallows and execution site, i.e., to carry out death sentences according to the Imperial Criminal Code.
In 1567, Wilhelm von Stein zu Altenstein sided against the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg during the Grumbach Feud and was therefore executed by sword in the marketplace of Gotha. The Prince-Bishopric withdrew the fiefs from the family. After another devastation of the castle in the Thirty Years' War, the economic decline of the family began. In 1634, marauding mercenaries shot Caspar von Stein.
In 1695, Emperor Leopold I elevated Johann Casimir von Stein zu Altenstein to the rank of Imperial Baron. However, this only slightly delayed the family's decline. At that time, three family branches still existed in Altenstein, Marbach, and Ditterswind.
The Stein von Altenstein family inhabited their ancestral castle until 1703, but then moved down into the valley to their newly built castle in Pfaffendorf. The Prince-Bishopric unsuccessfully urged the castle lords in 1670 to restore the complex. Consequently, the castle complex fell into its present ruined state. In 1768, Christian Adam Ludwig von Stein had to sell the Maroldsweisach manor to Joseph Anton Freiherr Horneck von Weinheim. As one of the last estates, the castle in Pfaffendorf passed to the Barons von Grunelius around 1850.
In 1875, Karl von Stein zum Altenstein, the last scion of the German branch of the Lords of Altenstein, died. Finally, in 1895, the complex passed to the Barons von Rotenhan. Minor repair measures were carried out in 1898 and 1949/50.
Today, the castle ruin is owned and cared for by the Hassberge district (donated in 1972). The district began the renovation and development of the castle complex in 1999, which was officially completed on Heritage Day 2003.
The most important member of the Altenstein family is Karl Sigmund Franz Freiherr vom Stein zum Altenstein (1770–1840), who is often confused – even in the official castle guide from 2003 – with his namesake and predecessor Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein, the famous Baron von Stein. However, this Rhenish family has no genealogical connection with the Franconian Stein von Altenstein.
Castle Legends
The historically unproven castle legend tells of a siege of Altenstein in 1254 by the troops of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. Bishop Iring von Reinstein-Homburg (1254-1265) is said to have taken possession of the fortress by means of a trick. He offered peace negotiations and received the twelve brothers von Stein individually in a castle room. Here, the knights are said to have been murdered by waiting henchmen. Only the twelfth brother managed to cut off the bishop's nose with his knife. The family almost died out, but a relative named Seyfried was abroad and was able to continue the line.
According to another version, Herdegen, the last brother, managed to escape to Austria and make a living as a mason there. Later, he regained possession of the ancestral castle and incorporated three mason's hammers into his coat of arms. Another legend, however, attributes these hammers to Mjölnir, the hammer of Donar (Thor), the alleged ancestor of the family. A well-preserved coat of arms stone with the hammers is walled into the vestibule of the new parish church, but the relief above the main gate is heavily weathered.
Historical Background
Despite the lack of documentary and archival evidence, there is a kernel of truth in these legends. Throughout the High Middle Ages, the Diocese of Würzburg tried to seize the castles of the noble freemen and ministeriales of the neighboring Diocese of Bamberg. They did not shy away from false accusations. In the legend of the twelve brothers, highway robbery also served as a pretext for the siege. In 1168, imperial permission was obtained to storm the nearby Bramberg Castle. In the case of Rotenhan Castle, an alleged counterfeiter on the rock castle triggered the attack in 1323. The Lords of Rotenhan were ministeriales of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg.
It is likely that the Lords von Stein did not entirely voluntarily enter into the ministerialis service of the Diocese of Würzburg. On the other hand, such a service relationship could be very lucrative. Towards the end of the 13th century, the old line of the Lords of Altenstein seems to have truly died out. The Stein von Ostheim family appeared as successors. In 1296, a Wolvenius from this family already owned two castle houses at Altenstein. In this context, seven other families were mentioned as Ganerben. In 1304, Wolvenius served as the Würzburg Vogt at Rauheneck Castle near Ebern.
Description+
The complex presents itself as one of the largest and most impressive castle ruins in Franconia. Recently, it has been exemplarily secured and made accessible (free access during the day).
One enters the complex through the gatehouse (17th/18th century) of the re-inhabited outer bailey. This outwork probably dates back to the 13th century and already protected the access to the Romanesque castle complex. The southeastern parts of the outer bailey are supported by a high retaining wall with flying arches.
Via a stone bridge (18th century), which spans the approximately 15-meter-wide neck ditch, one reaches the main gate, which is flanked by two mighty round towers. This gatehouse is part of the mighty Hussite-era Zwinger fortifications (around 1430) in front of the older core castle. At that time, the main gate was moved to its current location. The original gate on the south side was walled up.
The representative gate entrance, however, dates from around 1567. The Hussite-era gate was somewhat lower (archaeologically documented in 2002). Above the passage, a machicolation protected the access. A poorly preserved coat of arms tablet with the three hammers of the Stein family is flanked by shield-bearers. The two lateral round towers each contained three unvaulted floors with T-shaped keyhole embrasures or T-embrasures with a lowered foot.
On both sides, short curtain walls with two further round towers connect to the gatehouse. The entire Zwinger complex was already planned with the use of firearms in mind. Only the eastern part dates from the Hussite period; the western area with its simple corbels dates from a renovation around 1567.
Behind the gate complex rises the ruin of the late Romanesque keep, whose north wall still stands up to a height of about ten meters. The formerly square main tower had side lengths of 9.8 meters. Only parts of the outer shell made of closely spaced bossed ashlar blocks with a narrow margin and remnants of the infill made of herringbone-patterned stones (Opus spicatum) have been preserved. The ashlar blocks were still moved with the older lifting tool, the wolf, and thus show no clamp holes on the front. The elevated entrance was probably on the south side facing the castle courtyard.
At the foot of the tower, a latrine shaft proves that the original neck ditch was directly in front of the keep. The main entrance of the Romanesque castle complex was probably already there near the current access (Zeune reconstruction), but was later moved to the south side. During the Hussite storms, this new gate was walled up and, for security reasons, the preserved double-tower gate was erected on the mountain side.
Passing the ruins of the Ganerben residences with their impressive cellar systems, one reaches the castle courtyard with the remains of the palas in the southwest, the castle well, and the late Gothic castle chapel. The extensive vaulted cellars, some of which were carved into the rock, were largely closed during the renovation (bat protection) and are only accessible on special occasions. The cellar under the palas and the above-ground vault of the Ganerben residence next to the keep are freely accessible.
The castle ruin stands on very unstable ground: the mighty Rhaetian sandstone cliffs are slowly sliding down the castle hill and have repeatedly led to partial collapses up to the present day. For example, in 1960, three superimposed vaults above the former gate entrance largely collapsed. Two decades later, the wall in the former gate area also collapsed. Its lower part with the walled-up gate remained. After the structural securing in recent years, the castle should be saved for the next 250 years.
Since 2003, visitors can walk on a circular path around the entire core castle and also visit previously inaccessible parts of the building. The castle is a station on the Castle Research Trail of the Haßberge district.
Castle Chapel
The chapel, preserved as a ruin on the east side, was built from 1438 onwards. The new building became necessary after the Würzburg Bishop Johann II von Brunn had elevated the previous building to the parish church of the village. The church was dedicated to St. Nicholas and the Virgin Mary. However, as early as 1563, it was decided to build a separate parish church on a plateau in front of the castle entrance. This sacred building was demolished in 1908/09 in favor of the preserved Neo-Romanesque church, but is well documented in the inventory volume of 1916.
The chapel consisted of a rectangular nave and an eastern, net-vaulted choir. The nave sits on the barrel vault of the former south gate entrance, and beneath the choir was apparently the crypt of the castle lords. The presbytery was placed on a slightly older wall section. It was probably built during the reinforcement of the fortifications during the Hussite invasions and projects to the south. The tower-like annex south of the choir is preserved two stories high (rear part) and structured by two string courses. Small rectangular window openings formerly illuminated the interior of the room, which is spanned by two cross vaults on the ground floor. A high-level door in the east wall leads to the projection of the older wall. In front of the tower, the casing of a stair tower, accessible from the nave, is visible. Entry into the annex was provided by a depressed arch portal in the choir wall.
The choir is supported externally by buttresses stepped once, with pointed arch windows between them. The original tracery with fish-bladder motifs is preserved in the east window.
Nave and choir are separated by a profiled chancel arch. The beginnings of the vault with their attached targe shields still indicate the net vault of the choir. The masonry of the nave on the north side is only preserved as a plinth; the remaining substance was altered by improper renovation. Like the rest of the castle complex, the chapel is built of the local Rhaetian sandstone. The regular ashlar blocks were moved with the wall clamp (clamp holes).
The inventory volume mentions numerous fragments of tombstones in the chapel floor. Around 1980, some pieces were still visible, but they have disappeared or been recovered.
The slow sliding of the castle rocks led to a slanted position of the choir walls. However, the elaborate renovation after 2000 secured the substance for a longer period.
Take Mobile History with you
You are reading this text for free. Premium adds what matters on the road: descriptions read aloud, sites found through your camera, whole regions taken offline.
- 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
14 days free, then from €2.99 a month. Cancel anytime.
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: 50.1715, 10.7341