Oberlauterbach Castle

The first documented mention of a Fritz Pfeil von Aulenbach dates back to 1378. From 1420 onwards, the Stang von Zellingen family, also known as Kottwitz von Aulenbach, appeared as owners, indicating an acquisition of the castle in the early 15th century. Building investigations in 1912 suggested that the central part of the complex might date back to the 15th century. Leonard Kottwitz, a Franconian nobleman, is presumed to be the builder, having acquired and built on a farmstead in the Aulenbach valley in 1474. After him, his cousin Walter, a former robber knight, was enfeoffed with the estate by the Archbishop of Mainz after 1483. Walter's descendants, who then called themselves Kottwitz von Aulenbach, expanded the property.