Katzenstein Castle is one of the oldest remaining Hohenstaufen castles in Germany. It is located in a borough that shares its name with the castle in the Dischingen municipality of the Heidenheim district of Baden-Württemberg. The castle is open to visitors and contains several dining rooms as well as hotel rooms.

Location

This hill castle is located in the valley of a tributary of the

Egau Egau is a river of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Germany. It flows into the Danube near Höchstädt an der Donau. See also *List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg A list of rivers of Baden-Württemberg, Germany: A * Aal * Aalbach * Aalenbach ...

river on the Härtsfeld in Heidenheim district near an old

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

running from Faimingen in Lauingen to Bopfingen known as the Frankensträßle ( en, Frankish avenue). Burg Katzenstein is located above sea level.

History

In 1099, the ''Lords von Cassenstein'' were first mentioned. The family was a ministerial or unfree knightly family in the service of the Graf (or Count) von Dillingen. 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 French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

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. Later, in 1810, the castle was taken over by the state of Württemberg and placed under the district of

Neresheim Neresheim is a town in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated northeast of Heidenheim, and southeast of Aalen. It's the home of the Neresheim Abbey, which still hosts monks, was '' Reichsfrei'' until the Germa ...

. Since 1939, the castle has been privately owned.

Sights

In 1973, the St Laurentius chapel was opened and cleaning began. Under the dirt and partially completed

Baroque painting Baroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival,Mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

paintings were discovered. The

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

paintings date from 1250 to 1280 and show the transition from

Romanesque art Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, Gothic style in the 12th century, or later depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 1 ...

to early Gothic art.

References

External links

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Burg Katzenstein (in German)
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{{Authority control Historic house museums in Baden-Württemberg Ministeriales

Location

History

Sights

See also

References

Further reading

External links