Clingenburg Castle (Ruin)

The origins of the Clingenburg date back to around 1100, when Conradus Colbo, a Schenk von Limpurg and cupbearer to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, had the castle built. It replaced a smaller complex, the Old Castle. In 1177, the name “Clingenburg” was first documented when Conradus Colbo referred to himself as “prinzerna de Clingenburg”. By the mid-13th century, three Schenken still lived at the castle, including Conrad, whose widow Guda brought the Clingenburg into her second marriage with Conrad von Bickenbach. This union established the Bickenbach family, which produced many influential figures over 250 years. After the Bickenbach family died out in the late 15th century, the castle fell to the Archbishopric of Mainz. However, the appointed bailiff, Johann Leonhard Kottwitz von Aulenbach, soon moved into his town castle and left the Clingenburg to decay.