Hirschbrunn Castle

The origins of the current castle date back to around 1600, when Count Gottfried von Oettingen-Oettingen and Count Wilhelm II von Oettingen-Wallerstein commissioned its construction as a hunting residence. The master builders Peter and Hans Alberthal were responsible for its realization. After the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634, the estate suffered looting by scattered soldiers. Towards the end of the 17th century, the castle changed hands when the last prince of the Protestant Oettingen-Oettingen line sold it to Count Franz Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg. He had the castle expanded in 1692 and the Marienkapelle (Mary's Chapel) erected, which is accessible from the castle via a connecting passage.