Burg Stallegg: A Medieval Noble Castle in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 3.1
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page5 sections
History
Burg Stallegg is a medieval noble castle in Germany, near Göschweiler, now part of Löffingen in Baden-Württemberg. Built during the thirteenth century, probably between 1200 and 1300, it belonged to the Knights of Stallegg, who first appear in the records around 1250 and remained documented until the end of the fourteenth century. Its position above a crossing of the Wutach gave the castle a role in protecting the ford used at the site before the later bridge was built.
Ownership and later history
In 1292, a member of the Lords of Blumberg, or one of their branches, was recorded as the castle’s owner. Burg Stallegg later came into joint possession of the Lords of Almshofen and the Lords of Bern. The Lords of Almshofen became sole owners in the early fifteenth century, while the Lords of Reckenbach held the castle in 1510. It subsequently passed to the Counts of Fürstenberg.
The castle was described as a Burgstall, a ruined or former castle site, in 1509. A reference from 1593 still called it both a castle and a Burgstall, reflecting the persistence of the name after the complex had fallen into ruin. Burg Stallegg also included the nearby Hofgut Stallegg, an agricultural estate that continues to exist.
A disputed family connection
Burg Stallegg has sometimes been associated with Heinrich III of Stahleck, Bishop of Strasbourg. That identification is considered incorrect because Heinrich came from Burg Stahleck near Bacharach rather than from the Stallegg family.
Remains
Hilltop setting and surviving walls
Burg Stallegg was a spur castle, a fortified site built on a projecting ridge and defended partly by steep natural ground. It stood at about 776 metres above sea level on a steep slope near the Wutach Gorge. The former castle complex survives in limited wall remains. The ruins lie near the Stallegg river power station, while Stallegg Bridge crosses the Wutach nearby at the location of the earlier ford that the castle was probably built to protect.
Nearby sites
