Burgruine Steinhart: A Medieval Castle Ruin in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.1
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Burgruine Steinhart is a medieval hilltop castle ruin in Germany, above the present Steinhart district of Hainsfarth. The first castle originated in the twelfth century and was associated with the noble Spät family of Steinhart. A later fortress, built in 1328, occupied a more defensible position about 100 metres southeast of the earlier site.
The Spät Family Castle
The first castle was probably established by Marquard Spet de Steinenhart, who appears as a witness in 1120. Other members of the family are recorded in the twelfth century, including Bertholdus Späth in 1130, Heinrich Spet in 1167, and Bertold Spet between 1180 and 1183. From 1282, the family used the name Spete von Steinhart, also rendered as the Späten von Steinhart. Their holdings were divided into two lines that year, with one branch moving to Faimingen, now part of Lauingen.
The earlier fortress became known as the old castle. It was probably destroyed during the war over the Eichstätt fiefs, feudal holdings connected with Eichstätt, and was not rebuilt. Its former site is known as Burgstall Steinhart and is also called Judenbuck. A Jewish cemetery has occupied the hill since the eighteenth century.
The Fortress of 1328
In 1328, Herman Spet received permission to build a new fortress at Steinhart. The replacement castle stood roughly 100 metres southeast of the earlier one, in a strategically more favourable position. Ownership passed to the Counts of Oettingen after 1339, and they sold the property to the Gundelsheim family in 1359.
Decline and Destruction
By 1532, the later castle was already in poor structural condition. Its ownership changed again over the following decades, and the fortress was probably destroyed in 1634 during the Thirty Years’ War. The ruin has been privately owned since 1971.
Remains
Castle Layout and Enclosure
Burgruine Steinhart occupies a spur position, meaning that the fortified site stood on an elevated projecting landform that used the terrain for defence. It lies at about 510 metres above sea level above Steinhart, in Bavaria’s Donau-Ries district. The later castle complex had a rectangular layout and included an outer bailey with a trapezoidal ground plan. Significant sections of the enclosure walls survive.
Masonry Walls
Parts of the enclosure were built from bossed ashlar, masonry made of stone blocks whose central faces project outward. The corners have drafted margins, deliberately finished strips along the edges of the blocks. These surviving wall sections preserve elements of the castle’s medieval construction and defensive boundary.
Earlier Castle Site
The earlier castle site, Burgstall Steinhart, lies on a hill marked by a ring-shaped ditch. The later fortress was positioned approximately 100 metres to the southeast, allowing the two castle locations to be distinguished within the wider Steinhart landscape.
Nearby sites
