Erfenstein Castle
Erfenstein Castle | |
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Burg Erfenstein | |
ministeriales |
Erfenstein Castle (
History
When and by whose instigation Erfenstein was founded is not known for certain; however its builders were the
In 1272 the first record of the castle mentions a
The castle's ownership switched between the two lines of the House of Leiningen, the Leiningen-Hardenburg and Leiningen-Rixingen branches, as a result of inheritance and division. The Rixingen line held the castle together with the village of Esthal until 1345; thereafter it became a
The historic background to the legend is that both castles were always owned by different lords - to begin with the Spangenberg belonged to the
Description
Erfenstein consists of two sites: Old Erfenstein (Alt-Erfenstein) and New Erfenstein (Neu-Erfenstein). Of the older site, which lies above New Erfenstein, practically nothing has survived apart from the outer
The lower and more recent site is dominated by a very well preserved bergfried, whose entrance lies high on the eastern side. Beside it are remains of a
Unlike Spangenberg Castle opposite, the site is in a poor condition, apart from the remnants of the lower ward. Measures have been proposed to secure the ruins in the area of the
Literature
- Jürgen Keddigkeit, Alexander Thon, Karl Scheurer Rolf Übel: Pfälzisches Burgenlexikon, Vol. 1: A-E. 2nd edn., Institut für pfälzische Geschichte und Volkskunde Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, 2003, ISBN 3-927754-51-X, pp. 504–516.
- Alexander Thon (ed.): Wie Schwalbennester an den Felsen geklebt. Burgen in der Nordpfalz. 1st edn., Schnell und Steiner, Regensburg, 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1674-4, pp. 44–47.
- Walter Herrmann: Auf rotem Fels - Ein Führer zu den schönsten Burgen der Pfalz und des elsässischen Wasgau. DRW-Verlag, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, 2004, ISBN 3-7650-8286-4, pp. 50–51.
- Alexander Thon, „Es ist keine Kunde auf uns gekommen, von welchem Beherrscher des teutschen Reiches dieselbe erbaut worden sei …“. Anmerkungen zu Ermittlung und Bewertung der Ersterwähnung pfälzischer Burgen, in: Mythos Staufer – in memoriam Dankwart Leistikow – Akten der 5. Landauer Staufertagung 1–3 July 2005, ed. by Volker Herzner u. Jürgen Krüger, Speyer, 2010, pp 127–139, hier pp. 128ff (about its first recorded mention in 1189/93). ISBN 3-932155-27-0.