The first documented mention of Hohenstein Castle was in 1306, which at the time was owned by Countess Jutta von Henneberg. During the Peasants’ War the castle fell victim to a devastating attack. It was subsequently burned to the ground and rebuilt after. The new castle was designed in the Renaissance style. During the Thirty Years’ War, Hohenstein Castle again suffered severe damages, but was once again restored.
The castle chapel was built in the second half of the 17th century. The jewel of the chapel is the chancellery with a magnificently carved sound cover, which is dated 1688. Today the castle chapel is owned by the Imhoff family and is available for church weddings of both denominations.
In 1763 Philipp Ernst Freiherr von Imhof acquired Hohenstein Castle. He and his descendants gave the castle, as well as the property belonging to it, its present appearance.
Up until the 20th century, there were several changes of ownership. Eventually, a private citizen, Oskar Hacker from Munich, acquired the castle in 1976 and had it thoroughly restored – introducing a castle hotel with a restaurant. Today Hohenstein Castle is owned by the non-profit Oskar Hacker Foundation.
References:The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is situated in a strategic area on a rocky spur overlooking the Upper Rhine Plain, it was used by successive powers from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years' War when it was abandoned. From 1900 to 1908 it was rebuilt at the behest of the German kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is a major tourist site, attracting more than 500,000 visitors a year.
The first records of a castle built by the Hohenstaufens date back to 1147. The fortress changed its name to Koenigsburg (royal castle) around 1157. The castle was handed over to the Tiersteins by the Habsburgs following its destruction in 1462. They rebuilt and enlarged it, installing a defensive system designed to withstand artillery fire.
The fortification work accomplished over the 15th century did not suffice to keep the Swedish artillery at bay during the Thirty Years War, and the defences were overrun.