Herstelle Castle

Herstelle's origins date back to the early Middle Ages, when a ring fort was built here to protect a Weser ford. In 797, Saxons unsuccessfully attempted to defend the complex against Charlemagne. He used the castle as his winter quarters and named it "Heristal Saxonicum," intending to establish a bishopric for Saxons here. However, by 799, Paderborn was designated as the episcopal see. The first documented mention of the late medieval castle as property of the Paderborn bishop occurred in 1292. In 1464, the castle was destroyed during a feud between Landgrave Ludwig II of Hesse and Bishop Simon III, but it was rebuilt by the end of the 15th century. Another destruction during the Thirty Years' War led to an almost complete reconstruction around 1650.