Steinen Castle

The former castle was first mentioned in 1278 when the Rotenberg couple Dietrich V and Adelheid, who belonged to a younger collateral line of the free lords of Rötteln, bequeathed the castle and other properties to St. Blasien Monastery. The exact location of the castle site cannot be definitively determined today, but it was probably on the site of the present-day castle. In 1563, the then moated castle was completely renovated by Gregorius Krafft von Dellmensingen; the engraved year 1563 above the entrance door and a window frame on the south side bear witness to this renovation. In 1574, he sold the castle to Wilhelm von Heidegg. The latter immediately withdrew from the purchase when he learned of the massive debts burdening the building. The subsequent lawsuits were only settled by compromise in 1580. Between 1597 and 1605, various Rötteln bailiffs lived in the castle. After the destruction of Rötteln Castle in 1678, the margravial castle bailiwick moved to Steinen and resided there for several years. In 1697, the castle was finally sold to Friedrich de Rougemont, the mayor of La Chaux-de-Fonds (Canton Neuchâtel, Switzerland). His widow Rose de Rougemont sold the property in 1716, and the castle was subsequently managed by tenants.

In November 1745, the actual history of the castle ended: the dilapidated castle estate in Steinen and the surrounding land were auctioned off piece by piece by the Margrave. From now on, the old noble seat became a bourgeois house: schoolmaster Ludwig Winter bought the castle for 1525 pounds, and the rest was acquired by 36 residents. The current appearance of the castle is largely determined by the renovation of Steinen's old landmark by Wilhelm Friedrich Reinau after 1888.

Steinen Castle is also mentioned in the Baden Book of Legends: The legend "The Häfnet Maiden (D'Häfnetjumpfere)" tells of the hard-heartedness and arrogance of earlier castle owners.