Zavelstein Castle

Burgruine Zavelstein
Burgruine Zavelstein
Bad Teinach-Zavelstein
	Ruins of Zavelstein in 1977
	Burgruine Zavelstein Burgruine Zavelstein
Coordinates	48°41′32.28″N 8°41′28.32″E / 48.6923000°N 8.6912000°E
Type	Höhenburg, Ortslage
Code	DE-BW
Height	560 m above sea level (NN)
Site information
Condition	ruin
Site history
Built	c. 1200
Garrison information
Occupants	counts

The ruins of Zavelstein Castle, a former

Calw in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg

.

History

Archaeological investigations revealed that the castle must have been built around the middle of the 13th century. The first written record of the castle dates to 1303, from which it is clear that a Herr Richelin, a knight in Zavelstein, had lived in the castle, probably from 1280. By 1311 Zavelstein surfaces in the documents as a Württemberg castle and was thus owned by the counts of Württemberg. Together with their lordship of the castles of Neuenbürg, Calw, Fautsberg, Wildberg and Nagold, they were able to maintain their influence over the newly acquired territories in the northeastern Black Forest.

In the 14th century, the castle was frequently let out as a

Eberhard II of Württemberg to Count Palatine William of Tübingen. Because William died one year later without issue, Zavelstein returned to Württemberg in accordance with the contract. The castle became a Leibgedinge

in 1365 for William's brother, Götz of Tübingen, but he gave it up just one year later.

Zavelstein Castle gained significance in 1367, when the Count of Württemberg Eberhard II, the Whiner (der Greiner) and his son,

Ulrich, were able to escape to the castle from an ambush in the Wildbad by the House of Martinsvögel

. Due to the poor financial situation of the House of Württemberg the fief of the Barony of Zavelstein was constantly extended.

From a 1396 deed, it is clear that the pledge to Gerhard of Straubenhardt had passed down to his legal successors, Straub of Straubenhardt and Schimpf Gültlingen. It was not until 1468 that Burkhard von Ehingen was given an order to settle the income of the castle and town of Zavelstein for 2,600 guilders. The knights of Ehingen held ownership rights until 1552. During the Peasant Wars, the castle was damaged in 1525 but not occupied. Duke Christopher of Württemberg redeemed the pledge in 1552 from Hans of Ehingen

In 1554, Jordan of Braitenbach on Roßnitz was enfeoffed with the castle. From 1554 to 1589, he repaired the castle facilities for 3,500 guilders, as can be seen from the bills for construction work. After his death in 1593, his widow Agnes of Braitenbach presumably continued to live there. After her death in 1612, the fief was transferred by

Obervogt of Calw

, especially in connexion with witch trials. In 1686, Eberhard Frederick Buwinghausen took possession of the estate as well as his father's offices.

Following the destruction of

viewing tower

. In 1991, archaeological investigations were carried out during reconstruction work.

Site

Of the former

zwinger and the 28-metre-high bergfried

.

Literature

Max Miller, Gerhard Taddey: Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands. Vol. 6. Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart, 1965

Karl Greiner: Bad Teinach und Zavelstein. Ein Geschichtsbild vom 13. bis zum 20. Jahrhundert Pforzheim, 1986

Dieter Planck [ed.]: Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden Württemberg 1991. Theiss, Stuttgart, 1992,
ISBN 3-8062-1019-5

Dieter Planck [ed.]: Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden Württemberg 1992. Theiss, Stuttgart, 1993,
ISBN 3-8062-1070-5

Timm Radt: Schloss Zavelstein - Ein unbeachtetes Bauwerk Heinrich Schickhardts. In: Georg Ulrich Großmann: Forschungen zu Burgen und Schlössern. Vol. 13. Die Burg zur Zeit der Renaissance.
ISBN 978-3-422-07023-3

History

Site

Literature

External links