Entenstein Castle (German: Schloss Entenstein) is a medieval castle surrounded by a moat situated in the center of the town of Schliengen. Schliengen is located in the district of Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg, in the very south-west of Germany in the proximity of the Black Forrest.

The origins of the castle can not be clearly dated. The first use of a building at this location can be traced to Walter of Schliengen in 821. By 1000 a tower house might have been in use. In the 13th century, Rudolf von Üsenberg (1207-1231)  was the owner of the castle. The name of the castle derives from the German words "Ente" and "Stein", which means duck and stone. By 1525, Entenstein belonged to the nobles of Nagel von der Alten Schönstein and was thus transformed to a more representative manor house.

In 1725 Johann Conrad of Reinach-Hirtzbach, then Prince Bishop of Basel, bought Entenstein castle and used it as the seat of the Upper Bailiwick of Schliengen. In 1805, Entenstein Castle became a district site of the Grand Duchy of Baden. After 1857 Entenstein Castle which was then in the possession of the counts of Andlau, an old German noble house, was reconstructed.

In 1970 Entenstein Castle was purchased by the Community of Schliengen and renovated thereafter.

Since 1975 it funcitions as city hall of the community of Schliengen.

Entenstein Castle

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Sausenburg Castle is a ruined German castle on the edge of the Black Forest, just north of the town of Kandern in Baden-Württemberg, between the villages of Sitzenkirch and Malsburg-Marzell. The castle was originally the stronghold of the lords of Sausenburg, and is built on a hill, 665 metres high, known as the Sausenberg.

At the beginning of the 12th century, the area was given to the Benedictine monks of the Monastery of St Blaise. The counts of Hachberg acquired the property in 1232 from the monastery. They built the castle in order to protect the area and lived there from 1246. In 1306, the counts founded the Sausenberg dynasty. From that point on, they called themselves the margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg.

In 1315, Liuthold II of Roetteln, the last male member of his dynasty, bestowed Roetteln to the counts of Hachberg-Sausenberg. He died in 1316. The counts of Hachberg-Sausenberg moved to Rötteln Castle and established their advocates (vogts) on the Sausenberg.

John, the last of the counts of Freiburg, bestowed his property Badenweiler to the margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg in 1444; the merger of Badenweiler, Rötteln, and Sausenberg marked the beginning of the Markgräflerland.

In 1503, through inheritance, the Sausenburg and the Markgräflerland became part of the Margraviate of Baden. The castle was destroyed in 1678 during the Franco-Dutch War by the army of French Marshal Créquy. At this point, medieval fortifications could not survive long against the advances in artillery and siege warfare.

Today an old circular rampart, a tower and several wall segments remain of the former castle.


Sausenburg Castle

Rötteln Castle (German: Burg Rötteln), located above the Lörrach suburb of Haagen, lies in the extreme southwest corner of the German state of Baden-Württemberg just 10 kilometres (6 miles) North-East of the Swiss City of Basel. The fortification was one of the most powerful in the southwest, and today is the third largest castle ruin in Baden.

The ruins of the castle are situated on a widely visible forested hill 422 metres (1,385 ft) above sea level. The keep lies on a spur projecting from the steep sided east side of the lower Wiese valley.

The castle has probably existed since the beginning of the 11th century. In the year 1102 is the first documented mention of a lord of Rötteln, one Dietrich von Rötteln, the bailiff of St. Albans near Basel. This year is also considered the date of the founding of the city of Lörrach. In 1204 Dietrich III of Rötteln died, having amassed a large holding in the Wiese valley. His sons held high offices; Walter I was the Kapitular (a priest who is authorized to say the mass in a cathedral and perform other duties of a bishop) of Konstanz and Basel, Luithold I was the bishop of Basel, Konrad I was the founder of the city of Schopfheim, which was important to the later formation of the Markgräflerland. The first documented mention of the castle itself is from the year 1259.

Luithold II von Rötteln, the last male of his line, gave the lordship of Rötteln to the Margrave Rudolf I of Hachberg-Sausenberg and his heiress Agnes von Rötteln in the year 1311. As a result, the Margrave of Hachberg-Sausenberg, based in Emmendingen at Hochburg Castle, also became lord of the former domain of Rötteln. The Margrave then moved from Sausenburg to Rötteln Castle to more easily administer his new domain and appointed a bailiff to oversee Sausenburg

Luithold II von Rötteln died on May 19, 1316, and the passing of Rötteln to Hachberg-Sausenburg was an important step in the eventual formation of the Markgräflerland. In 1332 the castle was besieged by the people of Basel because the Margrave Rudolf II stabbed the mayor of Basel during an argument. The conflict was resolved at the last moment through an agreement to settle the argument. Arrowheads, crossbow bolts, and other finds near the castle attest to this siege.

The Basel earthquake of 1356 destroyed large portions of the city, and the castle suffered severe damage.

In 1444 the domain of Badenweiler passed from the last Count of Freiburg, John, to the son of Margrave Wilhelm, Rudolf IV von Hachberg-Sausenberg. The combination of the three dominions, Rötteln, Sausenburg, and Badenweiler formed the foundation of the Markgräflerland.

In 1503 the castle came into the possession of the Margrave of Baden. In 1525 (during the German Peasants' War) revolting peasants briefly took possession of the castle.

From 1618 to 1648 during the Thirty Years War the castle was occupied by both Swedish and Imperial forces.

During the Franco-Dutch War, on June 29, 1678, the castles of Rötteln, Sausenburg, and Badenweiler were destroyed by the army of the French Marshall François de Créquy. The castle ruins were thereafter used as a source of building stone (quarry).

The Black Forest Society of Baden(Schwarzwaldverein) began to survey the ruins in 1884 in order to preserve it. Since 1926 this has been the concern of the Röttelnbund e.V. club based in Lörrach-Haagen. Today the ruins have been restored to approximately their condition after their destruction in 1678.

A drawing by local artist August Heckmann shows the southern gate of the castle around 1945.

The site of the castle extends from northwest to southwest over a distance of almost 300 meters. The widely spread castle can be roughly divided into the fore-castle and upper castle. To the west a bastion-like point extends for the placement of light artillery. Passage from the fore-castle to the upper castle is by means of a drawbridge. The upper castle with its powerful keep is the oldest part of the castle. Archaeological finds from the castle and grounds are on display in the museum in the courtyard of the castle.

The "Green Tower", at the highest point of the keep, offers a particularly fine view of Lörrach, the Wiese valley and several Swiss mountain peaks. The castle ruins are the most notable landmark of the border town. The Röttler Burgfestspiele, an open air live theater in the castle courtyard, has operated annually each summer since 1968.

The lower castle is open year-round and the keep and museum are open in the summer and on weekends in the winter. Tours are available with prior reservations. In addition to the small museum, there is a Burgschänke or traditional restaurant / pub in the bailey.

The oldest surviving depiction of Rötteln castle is an illustration from Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia from the year 1562. Another well known contemporary illustration by Matthäus Merian shows the castle in 1644.

Rötteln Castle

Inzlingen Castle (German: Wasserchloss Inzlingen), also Reichenstein Castle (Schloss Reichenstein) is a medieval castle surrounded by a moat situated in the village of Inzlingen. Inzlingen is located in the district of Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg, in the very south-west of Germany just at the Swiss border line near Basel. The origins of the castle cannot be clearly dated. The first written evidence dated 1511 – at this time already a possession of a relative of the barons Reich von Reichenstein. This noble family hold fiefdoms from the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, the Margraviate of Baden and the House of Habsburg. A Prince-bishop of Basel, six mayors of Basel and a principal of Basel University came from this noble family. In 1394 Margrave Rudolf III. enfeoffed Heinrich Reich von Reichenstein with the right for high justice regarding the village of Inzlingen and afterwards the family was in a position to acquire also a substantial landholding within this village and named themselves Lords of Inzlingen. A first major conversion of the castle dated 1563 to 1566. A copper engraving published 1625 shows the buildings at this time. Later (1674 to 1745) the buildings were converted to a Baroque style and at about 1750 a Baroque interior (Stucco; Overdoor; Masonry heater) followed.

Since 1820 the castle was a domicile for a weaving mill producing silk ribbons and afterwards it was used for a century as a farm house. In 1969 Inzlingen Castle was purchased by the municipality of Inzlingen and renovated thereafter. Since 1978 it functions as city hall of the municipality of Inzlingen. Furthermore, there is a luxury restaurant within the castle.

In 1980 the Deutsche Post issued a stamp showing an engraving of Inzlingen castle.

