Seyfriedsberg Castle

Seyfriedsberg Castle is a district of Ziemetshausen in the Swabian district of Günzburg.

It is located three kilometers south of Ziemetshausen and consists of a three-story main building and a side wing built at a right angle. The main building and the entrance building are connected by a wall with a brick-covered gable roof, creating an enclosed courtyard. The princely crypt, adorned with the alliance coat of arms of the princely families Oettingen-Wallerstein and Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, is located 500 meters east of the castle.

The Seyfriedsberg fortress was first mentioned in 1227. Its builder was the Augsburg bishop Siegfried III, Count of Rechberg. Consequently, the property was initially named Sifritspurc or Sifritsperc, from which the current name developed. Through pledging and frequent changes of ownership, in addition to the bishops of Augsburg, the Staufer, the margraves of Burgau, and the Habsburgs were the castle owners and rulers.

From 1529 to 1568, Carl Villinger von Schöneberg the Elder built Seyfriedsberg Castle. At the beginning of the 17th century, Carl Villinger von Schöneberg had the Zwinger (outer bailey) built and the castle garden laid out. In 1667, Ernst Graf zu Oettingen-Wallerstein bought the property.

In the following centuries, Seyfriedsberg Castle was repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. For example, from 1838 to 1851, a general renovation of the main building took place: in 1846, several outbuildings were erected in place of the demolished farm buildings. These consist of the two-story northwest wing, the so-called library with an octagonal tower and pointed roof, and on the southwest side, the Beschließerbau (steward's building). The forecourt is enclosed by the Prinzenbau (prince's building) and the Gärtnerhaus (gardener's house) on the north side, and by the Hausmeisterhaus (caretaker's house) and a wall leading to the steeply sloping building on the south side.

In 1848, Karl Anselm Prinz zu Oettingen-Wallerstein had a forest-botanical park laid out in front of the castle, where shrubs and trees from all over the world were planted. This natural monument is freely accessible to interested visitors all year round.

In 1945, French troops plundered the castle.

Some of the valuable holdings of the castle library have found their way into the antiquarian book trade.

Today, some rooms of the castle can be rented for events.