Burgstall Saufelsen: A Medieval Castle Ruin in Kinding, Germany

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Country: Germany

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Burgstall Saufelsen is a medieval castle ruin situated near Unteremmendorf in the municipality of Kinding, Germany. It was established during the High Middle Ages by the ministerial family of the Emmendorfer, a noble lineage first documented in 1119. This family served the Prince-Bishopric of Eichstätt, a religious and territorial principality of the Holy Roman Empire, indicating the castle’s connection to ecclesiastical authority.

The Emmendorfer family likely constructed Burgstall Saufelsen along with two neighboring castles, Torfelsen and Hubertusfelsen, each held by distinct branches of the family. The presence of multiple coats of arms linked to these castles supports this division of ownership and suggests a network of related noble residences controlling the surrounding landscape. The castle at Saufelsen functioned as a noble stronghold during this period, overseeing the upper Altmühl valley.

Around the early 16th century, the Emmendorfer family came to an end, with no heirs remaining by about 1506. Following their extinction, Burgstall Saufelsen was abandoned and fell into ruin. Since then, the site has remained uninhabited and overgrown, transitioning over centuries from a strategic noble residence to a protected historical monument. Today, it is recognized as a cultural heritage site under the care of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.

Remains

The site of Burgstall Saufelsen occupies a small rocky plateau that projects northward from the Kühberg ridge at an elevation of just under 500 meters above sea level. The castle’s compact footprint measures approximately 22 by 17 meters, positioned on a natural spur above the Altmühl valley. Its location offered strategic advantage, with steep slopes on the north and east sides forming natural defenses.

Artificial fortifications complemented these natural barriers. To the south, where the plateau rises, a broad and deep ditch was carved to protect the castle against approach from higher ground. Along the southern side of the hill, a U-shaped ring ditch enclosed the area, while a transverse embankment sealed off the ditch’s eastern opening. These earthworks reinforced the castle’s defenses by blocking easy access.

In front of the main defensive ditch, an extended 60-meter-long outer section ditch runs from the western hill’s edge eastward to a dry spring basin. Adjacent to this ditch lies an outer rampart, likely constructed to safeguard the vital water source, securing the castle’s supply during times of siege or isolation.

Remnants of the castle’s built structures are minimal. Faint foundation traces can be detected, with a few foundation walls surviving along the eastern plateau edge. These remains are thought to have formed part of the castle’s surrounding ring wall (a defensive stone wall enclosing the site). Overall, the surviving features reveal a fortress that used both the natural terrain and carefully arranged ditches and embankments to create a layered defense system.

The entire site is now densely covered by forest, which preserves these earthworks and stone traces in situ. Its archaeological documentation has allowed historians to reconstruct the castle’s layout and understand its defensive strategy, affirming its role as a small noble stronghold of the High Middle Ages.