Wohldenberg Castle: A Medieval Stronghold and Administrative Center in Germany

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.7

Popularity: Low

Official Website: www.wohldenberg.de

Country: Germany

Civilization: Early Modern, Medieval European, Modern

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

Wohldenberg Castle is located near the municipality of Wohldenberg in modern-day Germany. It was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Wohldenberg, originally known as the Counts of Wöltingerode, as part of their efforts to extend their control in the Ambergau region.

Construction of the castle began in 1153. After 1174, Ludolf I, head of the family, moved his main residence to Wohldenberg, leaving Wöltingerode to be transformed into a Cistercian monastery. During the feud between Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and Henry the Lion, the counts sided with the emperor. As a result, in 1180, Henry the Lion destroyed Wohldenberg Castle. It was soon rebuilt, and the counts expanded their influence, with Hermann von Wohldenberg acquiring the nearby Poppenburg as a fief.

In 1275, the counts sold the castle along with their county to Bishop Otto I of Hildesheim. From that time, Wohldenberg Castle served as the administrative center—known as an Amtssitz—of Amt Wohldenberg, which was part of the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim. Over the 14th and 15th centuries, while the bishopric retained ownership, the castle was frequently pledged as security for loans or granted as a fief to various noble families. Among these were the von Bortfeld, von Oldershausen, von Saldern, von Wallmoden, von Sehlde, von Linde, and von Steinberg families. Periods of occupation by robber knights are also historically noted.

The early 16th century brought significant change when, following the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud from 1519 to 1523, the castle passed to the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The then-owner, Aschwin von Bortfeld, was expelled without compensation. A year before the feud began, in 1518, he established a plague column known locally as the “stony Jacob” at the foot of the hill near the castle, marking a notable religious monument.

During the Thirty Years’ War, in 1641, Imperial forces destroyed Wohldenberg Castle near the town of Bockenem, leaving it in ruins. After the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim was reinstated in 1643, the castle site saw new construction in the 18th century, including baroque-style buildings and the erection of St. Hubertus church.

In the 19th century, much of the remaining medieval structure was dismantled for building materials. However, restoration efforts began in 1858 under the administration of Hanover, including the remodeling of the castle’s bergfried (keep) with a viewing platform. The former gatehouse had been converted into a vicarage earlier, in 1731, and additional buildings such as an Amtshaus were built below the castle in 1852 for administrative and residential use. This Amtshaus later housed the author Oskar Meding and functioned briefly as a hotel.

During World War II, the castle keep served a military purpose as an anti-aircraft tower. Since 1946, the Haus Wohldenberg, situated below the castle, has been used as a Catholic youth education center under the Diocese of Hildesheim.

Remains

Wohldenberg Castle occupies a hilltop position atop the 218-meter-high Wohldenberg ridge, overseeing the Nette valley and providing strategic control near the northern entrance to the Ambergau. The site, originally a pagan sacred place dedicated to the deity Wodan, covers an elongated, kidney-shaped plateau approximately 190 by 110 meters. This area is divided into two main parts: the southern main castle and the northern outer bailey, separated by a defensive wall and moat.

The main castle contained several key structures. Central among these was the palas, a large residential hall typical of medieval castles, and a bergfried—a tall, 32-meter-high keep that served defensive and watchtower functions. In the 19th century, restorations transformed the bergfried by adding a crenellated viewing platform on top, adapting it from purely defensive use to an observation tower. Adjacent to these was a chapel, which was replaced in 1731 by the Baroque-style Catholic Church of St. Hubertus, a structure still standing today next to the castle gatehouse.

Access to the outer bailey was gained through a fortified gatehouse comprising a gate tower. This gatehouse incorporates a round flank tower that is now part of a half-timbered residential building attached to the southwest side. The defensive walls surrounding the castle vary in thickness but can reach up to two meters, testifying to their original protective purpose. Traces remain of former annexes on both the north and south sides of the bergfried, indicating extensions or additional buildings that were once part of the castle’s core.

Below the castle, near the foot of the hill, stands a building dating to 1561 that functioned historically as an inn. Approximately 200 meters further downhill lies the Amtshaus, constructed in 1852. This building was designed to serve as an administrative office and residence for officials managing the Amt Wohldenberg.

The castle’s location capitalizes on steep escarpments that encircle the site, naturally enhancing its defenses and making any assault difficult. It overlooks the crossroads of two important medieval routes: the “Frankfurter Straße,” an old trade road, and the road connecting Hildesheim to Goslar. This strategic position contributed to its historical importance as both a military stronghold and an administrative seat.