Burg Neuhaus: A Ruined Hilltop Castle in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Crusader, Holy Roman Empire, Teutonic Order
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Burg Neuhaus is a ruined hilltop castle in Germany, located near Neuhaus in Igersheim. Probably built during the thirteenth century, it was first mentioned in 1281 and belonged to the Lords of Hohenlohe-Brauneck, a noble branch of the regional Hohenlohe family.
Medieval foundation and Teutonic administration
In 1320, Burg Neuhaus became a fief of the Bishopric of Würzburg, the ecclesiastical principality governed by the bishop of Würzburg. The castle later entered the territorial administration of the Teutonic Order, a religious and military organization that also governed lands and settlements.
Together with Althausen, Apfelbach, Bernsfelden, Harthausen, Igersheim, Markelsheim, and Neuses, the castle formed the Teutonic Order’s administrative district of Neuhaus. This district was an office responsible for governing the order’s lands and villages in the area.
War and administrative change
The castle was destroyed and rebuilt during the German Peasants’ War of 1524–1525, a major uprising in the German lands, and the Schmalkaldic War of 1546–1547, a conflict within the Holy Roman Empire between Emperor Charles V and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League.
From 1704 to 1789, Neuhaus served as the seat of a Teutonic Order official who handled judicial and administrative affairs. In 1789, that official’s seat moved to Igersheim.
Demolition and later ownership
Gradual demolition of the castle began in 1792. The Napoleonic dissolution of the Teutonic Order also ended the Neuhaus administrative district, although Igersheim remained part of it until 1809.
Afterward, Burg Neuhaus became state property under the administration of the Royal Württemberg rent office, a state authority responsible for government property and revenues. The castle was also notorious as a prison and torture castle. The ruin is now state-owned and leased.
Remains
Burg Neuhaus is an aristocratic hilltop spur castle on a mountain spur above the Tauber Valley, at approximately 329 metres above sea level. It stands near the present Staatsdomäne Neuhaus settlement in Igersheim and is surrounded by the Neuhaus nature reserve. The surviving complex is divided into a core castle, the principal fortified enclosure, and an outer bailey, the associated outer enclosed area. The core castle remains as a freely accessible ruin.
Core castle and outer bailey
Core castle
The core castle forms the principal surviving fortified area of Burg Neuhaus. Its present condition reflects the destruction, rebuilding, and later demolition that affected the castle over successive historical phases. The remains stand within the hilltop setting above the Tauber Valley.
Outer bailey
The outer bailey forms the second main part of the site. It was formerly used mainly for breeding Trakehner horses, a German riding-horse breed. Today, this area serves as a horse boarding facility and as a meeting and training place for a medieval group engaged in staged and free combat. It is also used for medieval markets.
