The remains of the Castle can be visited
RuinBreitenbach
Mühlhäuser Castle (Ruin) (Breitenbach)
The so-called Mühlhäuser Schlösschen is the ruin of a small medieval castle-like building, interpreted as a low-nobility residence of the type known as a "Feste Haus" (fortified house) or "Weiherhaus" (moated house). It is located south of the village of Mühlhausen, municipality of Breuberg in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse. There are no written sources about the history of the complex, whose existence is now severely endangered.
The complex is located between Breuberg and Lützel-Wiebelsbach near the L 3259 at the foot of the 311 m high Obersberg. The Schlösschen itself lies in the narrow valley basin between this and the neighboring Breitenbacher Kopf at an altitude of about 195 m above sea level. It is difficult to access today, as it is located in the wet floodplain of the Breitenbach, a tributary of the Mümling, in the middle of a cattle pasture.
There are no written sources about either the inhabitants or the complex itself. The history of the complex can only be deduced from observations of the few remaining wall remnants, similarities to other buildings of this type, its location, and a few archaeological investigations.
In the spring of 1988, two smaller exploratory trenches were laid within the building, yielding some ceramic shards. The walking level of the preserved stone ground floor consisted of a rammed clay floor; no traces of stone slabs were found.
Complex+
The historical classification and clarification of the function essentially result from observations of the preserved substance of the ruin. Since it is largely exposed to decay and parts have repeatedly collapsed in recent decades, old records of its condition are also informative.
The building occupies an almost square area of about 8.80 m by 10 m. The 60 to 70 cm thick masonry is almost only preserved on the west side. On the other sides, foundation remnants are still visible. On the east side, there was a small projection. The wall here was reinforced up to 1.20 m, possibly indicating an entrance above the stone ground floor, which was reached via a drawbridge. At the southwestern corner was the remnant of a half-shell tower. As the masonry is heavily overgrown with tree roots, this collapsed a few years ago. The tower could have served as a stair tower to the upper floor. This was probably built in half-timbered construction.
Parts of a surrounding moat are still recognizable in the meadow area.
Interpretation
The construction of the stone ground floor shows strong similarities to the Templerhaus in Amorbach and the Topplerschlösschen below Rothenburg. With high probability, the Mühlhäuser Schlösschen was the seat of a low nobleman, possibly a Burgmann (castle man) at the nearby Breuberg Castle. Another very similar building is also not far from it, the so-called Bacheburg near Neustädter Hof between Mömlingen and Eisenbach.
Buildings of this type are widespread in the Franconian region. The so-called Weiherhäuser were fortified only by their location in a body of water and a drawbridge or an elevated entrance above the stone ground floor. The upper floor or floors were usually constructed in half-timbered style.
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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: 49.7967, 9.0515