Friedrichsburg Castle

Friedrichsburg Castle is a castle in the Upper Palatinate town of Vohenstrauß and also its landmark.

The castle is a three-story, rectangular box-shaped building with a high and steep gabled roof, built in the style of the German Renaissance. At its four corners, it has four round towers with pointed spires, rising in sections. In the center of the north-facing main facade is a fifth, also round, main entrance tower, one story higher. On the south facade stands a sixth round tower, which was added in 1903. The east and west sides are equipped with wave gables, and granite string courses mark the individual floors. Around 1600, there was a rectangular wall with loopholes around the castle. The castle is 40.84 meters long, 18.57 meters wide, and has a net floor area of 2225 square meters.

The Friedrichsburg was built by Count Palatine Friedrich from 1586 to 1593. The master builder was Leonhardt Greineisen from Burglengenfeld, and the work was carried out by the master mason Hanss Reicholt from Weiden. He died in 1589, whereupon the Italian master mason Hans Meria continued the work. The builder Friedrich is also the namesake of the castle.

Count Palatine Friedrich moved to Vohenstrauß with his wife Katahrina-Sophia from Weiden in 1593 to reside in the Friedrichsburg. Originally, Friedrich wanted to have his residence in Weiden representatively expanded, but after this failed, the decision was made for Vohenstrauß. As a residential location, Vohenstrauß experienced an economic boom.

After Friedrich died on December 17, 1597, the castle served as the dowager's residence for the Countess Palatine until her death on May 10, 1608. The sovereign rights passed to Palatinate-Neuburg.

In the subsequent period, the Friedrichsburg was used as a residence for the administrators of Floss and Vohenstrauß. A first renovation of the castle took place in the years 1659 and 1661.

Various offices used the castle in the 19th century. For example, in 1809, the district court of Burgtreswitz was moved to the castle. From 1842, the Rentenamt (revenue office) was also housed in the castle, followed by the Bezirksamt (district office) in 1862, later the Vermessungsamt (surveying office), and until 1972, the castle served as the Landratsamt (district administration office) for the district of Vohenstrauß.