Stolzenberg Castle (Ruin) (Bad Soden)

The exact date of the Stolzenberg Castle's construction is unknown, but an initial fortification may have existed as early as the 11th or 12th century. The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1252, when King William of Holland permitted Abbot Heinrich IV of Erthal of Fulda to rebuild the structure, which had been destroyed shortly before by “enemies of the church.” This destruction could be attributed to attacks by the Counts of Rieneck or Archbishop Gerhard von Dhaun of Mainz. After 1252, the castle was likely expanded in stone and a new keep was built. At the end of the 13th century, the settlement of Stolzenthal, which had grown at the foot of the castle, received town rights and later adopted the name Soden. From 1299, Hermann von Hutten managed the castle as a bailiff. The castle chapel was consecrated in 1319 and later supplemented by its own church for the residents of Stolzenthal. The von Hutten family established itself at the castle and, from the 15th century, added “zu Stolzenberg” to their name.