Hirschberg Castle

Between 1170 and 1200, the Counts of Grögling and Dollnstein began constructing a castle complex. From 1205, they named themselves “Counts of Hirschberg” after their new ancestral seat. The original castle, whose dimensions matched today's, included two keeps and the southern curtain wall. In 1304, the last count, Gebhard VII, bequeathed the castle and county to the Bishop of Eichstätt. Under the bishops, the complex was expanded and redesigned. Bishop Friedrich IV of Oettingen raised the north tower, and Bishop Albrecht II of Hohenrechberg relocated the access road and added an outer bailey. Bishop Wilhelm von Reichenau replaced the old count's building with a three-story manor house. Under Bishop Martin von Schaumberg, the north wing was built. A lightning strike in 1632 destroyed large parts of the castle, but it was rebuilt and renovated from 1670 onwards. Its current symmetrical Rococo appearance was given to the castle from 1760 to 1764 under Bishop Raymund Anton Graf von Strasoldo by court architect Moritz Pedetti, who created a symmetrical courtyard of honor and unified the exterior architecture.