Gräfenhausen Castle

The origins of Gräfenhausen Castle date back to the early 13th century, when after 1211, Waro von Hagen, a brother of Kuno von Hagen-Münzenberg, presumably built a castle or moated castle. This complex, likely an imperial fief, was owned by the Lords of Heusenstamm and shaped the region for over 400 years. The current castle was built in 1555 and was converted and expanded into a Renaissance castle in the second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. Hans Heinrich von Heussenstamm had the forecourt, barns, and stables built and reinforced the fortifications with three bulwarks. In 1658, after negotiations, the castle passed to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt. Landgrave Ludwig IX handed it over to the Princely Invalid Institute in 1775, which existed until 1818. After a period as a military hospital and vacancy, it was sold in 1832 to Nikolaus Schwarz, who established a textile factory. In the following decades, the castle changed hands several times until it was acquired by the city of Darmstadt in 1887.