Obergrombach Castle

The origins of a fortification in Obergrombach date back to the 11th century. The first documented mention of a castle, then referred to as “sloss grumbach,” appears in 1256. From 1311, the Prince-Bishops of Speyer took over the complex, which served them as a stronghold for securing their southeastern borders until 1803. In the late 14th or early 15th century, the original village church had to make way for an expansion of the castle and was replaced by a new castle chapel, first documented in 1401. In 1461, the four-story palas was built. The fortifications were further expanded under Bishops Raban and Ludwig von Helmstatt. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle experienced several sieges and occupations, including by the Bishop of Sötern, Colonel Schmidberg, and Major General Rossa, and was partially destroyed by French troops.