- Burg Katzenstein
Burg Katzenstein is one of the oldest remaining Hohenstaufen castles in
Germany . It is located in a burough, named after the castle, inDischingen in the Heidenheim district ofBaden-Württemberg . The castle is open to visitors and contains several dining rooms as well as hotel rooms.Location
The castle is located in a side valley of
Egua , near the oldRoman road Faimingen –Oberdorf bei Bopfingen (also known as the "Frankensträßle" or "Frankish Avenue"). The castle is located about 538 m abovesea level .History
In 1099 the "Lords von Cassenstein" were first mentioned. The family was a
Ministerialis or unfree knight family in the service of theGraf (orCount ) von Dillingencite book | last = Dörr | title = Schwäbische Alb: Bergen, Schlösser, Ruinen | publisher = E. Schwend GmbH & Co. | year= 1988 | location = Schwäbisch-Hall, Germany | pages = 29,30 | isbn = 3-616-06727-8] . In 1262 "Edlen von Hürnheim" was listed as the owner of the castle "von Katzenstein" when it was sold by "Hermann von Hürnheim-Katzenstein".Ownership changed again in 1354 when the "Graf von Oettingen" acquired the castle. He quickly pawned the castle on the "Graf von Helfenstein", who gave the castle to "Berthold von Westerstetten" in 1382. In 1572 the Katzenstein line wiped out the Westerstetten line. The inheritance of the Westerstetten family was sold again to the "von Oettingen" family.
The castle was burned to the ground by French soldiers in 1648, at the end of the
Thirty Years' War . The castle was rebuilt in 1669.Burg Katzenstein went to the Oettingen-Wallenstein line in 1798. Then in 1810 the castle was taken over by the state of
Württemberg and placed under the district ofNeresheim .Since 1939 the castle has been privately owned.
ights
In 1973 the
St. Laurentius chapel was opened and cleaning began. Under the dirt and partially completedBaroque painting s, impressive Medival paintings were discovered. Thefresco paintings date from 1250 to 1280 and show the transition fromRomanesque art to earlyGothic art [http://www.burgkatzenstein.de/set.html Burg Katzenstein History (German)] ]ee also
*
List of castles in Baden-Württemberg External links
* [http://www.burgkatzenstein.de/ Burg Katzenstein (in German)]
* [http://www.dischingen.de/die-gemeinde/geschichte/geschichte_katzenstein_statisch.html Dischingen Town website (in German)]References
*
* Max Müller, Gerhard Taddey (Hrsg.): "Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Band Baden-Württemberg". Kröner, Stuttgart 2. Aufl. 1980. ISBN 3-520-27602-X
* Michael-Nikolaus-Nomidis Walter, Burgverwalter Burg Katzenstein: "Geschichte und Beschreibung der Burg Katzenstein". MissionsDruckerei&Verlag Mariannhill, Reimlingen
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