Spangenberg Castle

Spangenberg Castle is the partially rebuilt ruin of a rock castle above the Elmstein valley near the village of Erfenstein. Together with the neighbouring castle of Erfenstein, it is linked to the legend of the Leather Bridge.

Spangenberg Castle was probably built in the 11th century. In 1100 it came into the possession of the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer as a castle in fee (Lehnsburg) granted by the bishop.

The historic background to the legend of the Leather Bridge is that both castles were always owned by different lords - to begin with the Spangenberg belonged to the prince-bishops of Speyer and Erfenstein, as mentioned, to the Leiningens - who were in competition with one another. In 1470 when their owners had subsequently changed, both castles were destroyed - first Erfenstein and then the Spangenberg - by their opponents during the Weißenburg Feud between Elector Frederick I of the Palatinate and his cousin, Duke Louis I of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Erfenstein has since lain in ruins.

In 1505 a stud 'garden' (Stutengarten) was laid out in the nearby woods. Spangenberg Castle, made habitable again, acted for just under 100 years as the residence of the master of the stud. But in the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) the castle was destroyed in the very first year of the war by army commander, Ernest of Mansfeld. It was destroyed again at the start of the War of the Palatine Succession (1688) and finally again by troops of Louis XIV, the King of France.

Around 1900 the ruins came into municipal ownership. Today they are owned by the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße.

Of the inner ward (lower ward) on the sandstone rocks, the ruins of the fortified palas, the castle gateway of the inner ward (upper ward) and the shield wall have survived.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Schankentalstraße 3, Esthal, Lambrecht, Germany

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Salian Dynasty (Germany)