Untergröningen Castle

The origins of Untergröningen Castle date back to 1351, when a predecessor castle was first mentioned in documents. At that time, the castle came into the possession of the Counts of Württemberg and Johann II von Rechberg as part of a sale by Ulrich VI von Rechberg. After the death of Wilhelm III von Rechberg in 1413, the complex passed into the hands of the Lords of Yberg, who in turn sold it to Schenk Conrad von Limpurg and his brothers in 1436. In the 15th century, the castle temporarily had several owners before the Schenken von Limpurg took sole control. Around 1564, Schenk Christoph von Limpurg began converting a medieval residential building into a gate and bailiff's house, thereby expanding the castle into a palace. A coat of arms plaque still commemorates this conversion today. From 1603, it was further developed into a hunting and summer residence with the construction of the north and east wings. In 1690, the castle came into the possession of the Limpurg-Speckfeld-Sontheim line. An inheritance dispute, which began in 1690 and only ended in 1774, led to Princess Marie Friederike Sophie Charlotte von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein inheriting the lordship of Gröningen. From 1775, extensive renovations were carried out on the castle complex, giving it its current appearance, including the replacement of the drawbridge and the conversion of the castle church. In 1804, Prince Ludwig Aloys exchanged the lordly claim with the Imperial Vice-Chancellor Franz Gundaccar von Colloredo-Mansfeld.