Leonegg Castle Site: A Former Castle near Hattenweiler, Germany
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page4 sections
History
Leonegg Castle Site is a former castle near Hattenweiler in the municipality of Heiligenberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is first mentioned around 1100, and may have been built on an earlier fortification.
The Leonegg family
In 1209, Hartnid von Leonegg held the Altheim bailiwick, a jurisdiction administered by a bailiff. Heinrich von Leonegg was associated with the Order of St John, a medieval religious-military order, at its commandery, a local house and administrative unit, founded in Überlingen in 1257. Other members of the family appear to have joined the order. In 1311, Burkhard von Leonegg, the last known male member of the family, was commander of the order’s house at Rheinfelden.
Ownership and decline
By 1614, Leonegg was already described as a former castle site. Its ownership had passed among several parties, including the Counts of Heiligenberg, Reichenau Abbey, and the Teutonic Order, another medieval religious-military order, whose commandery at Mainau held the property. The site appears to have later been used as a stone quarry.
Remains
The castle occupied a southwest-running spur at about 670 metres above sea level, south of Katzensteig, with steep slopes on two sides. A well-preserved ditch cuts across its northeastern link to the main plateau. A shallow hollow divides the site into two nearly rectangular areas. A very deep, broad defensive ditch crosses the southwestern end, with further levelled ditches beyond it to the southwest. Ditch traces survive, and parts of the site have been disturbed by sand extraction and path construction.
