To be privately owned
Kilchberg Castle
Kilchberg Castle, located in the district of the same name in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, is a castle complex from the 15th to 18th centuries, originating from a high medieval moated castle.
The first documented mention of Kilchberg dates back to 1261. The castle, presumably several decades older, was until this point owned by a noble family of knights of the same name, directly subject to the Holy Roman Empire. From 1261 to 1438, the castle was owned by the Lescher family, whose coat of arms is still the Kilchberg coat of arms today. The Leschers were succeeded by the Knights of Ehingen. Georg I von Ehingen, involved in the founding of the University of Tübingen as an advisor to Count Eberhard of Württemberg, was the builder of the current castle. After the extinction of the Ehingen family in 1608, there were several changes of ownership until 1779 when the castle fell to the Barons von Tessin, who are still the owners today. The imperial immediacy of the property lasted until 1806.
Complex+
Remarkable is the Staufer-era core castle, still preserved in its foundations. It is one of the rare examples of an octagonal castle complex (cf. the castles of Egisheim and Wangen as well as the "Burgstall" in Guebwiller in Alsace and Castel del Monte in Apulia). Over these foundations, Georg von Ehingen erected a late Gothic stone house towards the end of the 15th century, with the octagonal moat being preserved. At the beginning of the 16th century, the core castle was expanded with several additions that still characterize the castle's appearance today. In the second quarter of the 18th century, under Karl Magnus Leutrum von Ertringen (1680-1738), a baroque castle garden with an orangery and lower castle was laid out. After the Second World War, the architect Paul Schmitthenner lived in the castle for several years.
The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited. Only the orangery in the castle park can be rented for events.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 48.4894, 9.0156