Schloss Schönberg, auch das Schönberger Schloss genannt, liegt bei Schönberg einem Stadtteil von Bensheim an der Bergstraße im Kreis Bergstraße über dem Schönberger Tal in Südhessen.

Geschichte

Schönberg gehörte zur Grafschaft Erbach und später, nach der Teilung der Grafschaft, zum Zweig derer von Erbach-Schönberg.

Im 13. Jahrhundert (erste urkundliche Erwähnung im Jahre 1303), wurde das Schloss als Burg auf einer Bergnase über Schönberg erbaut, um die Lautertalstraße zu kontrollieren. Die ersten Gebäude müssen sich schon an Stelle der heutigen Bauten befunden haben, sie hatten wehrhafteren Charakter und waren zur nördlichen Hauptangriffsseite durch eine Schildmauer mit Türmen (einer noch vorhanden) geschützt. Die Burg war als pfälzisches Lehen im Besitz der Schenken von Erbach. In unmittelbarer Nähe grenzten mit der Kurmainz in Bensheim und der Grafschaft Katzenelnbogen in Auerbach fremde Territorialherren an das Erbacher Gebiet.

Mit dem Aussterben der Grafen von Katzenelnbogen wurden deren Erben, die Landgrafen von Hessen, im Jahr 1479 neue Nachbarn der Erbacher.

1504 im Bayerisch-Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg wurde die Burg durch den Landgrafen Wilhelm II. von Hessen schwer in Mitleidenschaft gezogen, geriet in Brand und wurde stark beschädigt. Nach Erhebung der Erbacher in den Stand der Grafenwürde im Jahr 1532 kam es in den folgenden Jahrzehnten jedoch zu einer regen Neubautätigkeit. In der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts erfolgte der Wiederaufbau als offenes Schloss.

Im Jahr 1717 kam es zur Teilung des Erbacher Grafenhauses und Schloss Schönberg wurde Sitz der nach ihm benannten Linie Erbach-Schönberg. Unter Graf Georg August von Erbach-Schönberg wurden um 1728/29 aufwändige Bauarbeiten aufgenommen.

Um 1840/50 erfolgten weitere gravierende Umgestaltungen an Herrenhaus und Nordflügel sowie im Schlosshof, wo die östliche Terrasse hergerichtet wurde. Der im 18. Jahrhundert erweiterte Barockgarten wurde zum Landschaftspark umgestaltet. 1902 entstand als letzte größere bauliche Zutat noch der Pavillon an der Terrasse, dessen Schöpfer der Bensheimer Architekt Heinrich Metzendorf war.

1956 wurde das altehrwürdige Schloss der 1903 in den Fürstenstand erhobenen Schönberger Linie an die Ruhrknappschaft in Bochum verkauft und zu einem Erholungsheim ausgebaut. Am 17. Oktober 1957 wurde es nach Umgestaltungen im Beisein von Bundespräsident Theodor Heuss zur Nutzung als Gesundheits-Vorsorgeheim übergeben.

Das Schloss diente bis Dezember 2011 als Tagungs- und Bildungsstätte für die Deutsche Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See. 2014 wurde das Schloss an einen regionalen Unternehmer verkauft.

Schloss Schönberg (Bensheim)

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Auerbach Castle is one of several fortresses along the Bergstrasse in southern Hesse, Germany. The castle was originally built by King Charlemagne (Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire) and rebuilt by Count Diether IV of the Katzenelnbogen dynasty in the second quarter of the 13th century. Today it remains standing atop a hill known as Urberg (part of the Melibokus) above the town of Bensheim-Auerbach.

The town of Auerbach (Bensheim) (de) was mentioned for the first time in the Lorsch codex as "Urbach". Through the marriage of Hildegard von Henneberg, areas of the Bergstraße passed to Henry II of Katzenelnbogen in 1135. Henry was ennobled as an earl in 1138 by King Konrad III. At that time, Auerbach belonged to the County of Katzenelnbogen. Katzenelnbogen was sub-divided into the Lower County (around St. Goar on the Rhine) and the Upper County (in what is now southern Hesse, south of the Main).

A stronghold was needed to provide security for the southern Katzenelnbogen dynasty; this included protection of the duties (tolls) collected at the town of Zwingenberg from travellers using the well-known north-south trading route along the Roman mountain road (Strada Montana, or Bergstrasse in German). Auerbach Castle was built on the strategically important Auerberg (Urberg) hill to address this need. Construction of the castle is believed to have begun about 1222 by the order of Earl Diether IV von Katzenelnbogen. The earliest mention of a castle on Urberg in the historical record appears in 1247, and the first document of the castle itself dates from 1257. In 1479 County Katzenelnbogen (including Auerbach Castle) passed to the Landgraviate of Hesse.

The castle lost much of its strategic importance during the 16th century until, by the time of the Thirty Years War, it was no longer in military use. In 1674 (during the 1672–1679 Franco-Dutch War) the castle was conquered and set afire by an army under French Marshal Turenne, killing local people who had sought protection within its walls. The abandoned castle became a ruin over the following years.

In 1820 the north tower of the castle collapsed, after which the Landgraviate of Hesse decided to secure (and partially rebuild) the ruins. In 1888 an inn was built in the former bailey, which was open year-round.

During the 1950s, the south tower became inaccessible due to the deterioration of its wooden staircase. In 1989, construction began on a terraced restaurant; it opened the following year, increasing the attraction of the castle ruins to visitors. In 2007, the stairway in the south tower was repaired and reopened to the public.

In 1258 a vineyard called the Grafenweinberg was recorded, and in 1318 one called the Reubere. There is still viticulture at the site today.

The triangular shape of the castle keep survives today. Between the wall (from the north to the south tower) and the inner courtyard were the kitchens, living quarters, stables and smithy. The original entrance, protected by a donjon, was in the wall between the north and former east tower. Between the wall (from the east to the south tower) and the inner courtyard were the grand hall, cellars and the castle chapel.

In the east corner of the inner courtyard lies the original well, drilled vertically through 62 metres (203 feet) of bedrock. The castle keep is surrounded by a ring wall which encloses the bailey. A further forecourt is enclosed by another ring wall. At the south side of this ring wall was the entrance to the estate. On 18 October 1356, a powerful earthquake shook the Rhine rift; the donjon collapsed onto the eastern and southeastern buildings. Beginning about 1370, large-scale reconstruction and expansion of the castle took place. The donjon was demolished, the entrance to the keep relocated and the northern shield wall was closed and raised. The entrance to the castle is now in the southwest corner, where it is protected by the south tower and an inner bailey.

A 4-metre (13-foot)-thick bastion was built in place of the east tower. This bastion (the first of its kind in Germany) was designed to protect the castle from cannon bombardment from the northeast. The north and south towers may have been raised at this time. These additional fortifications, ordered by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, gave rise to the name Feste Urberg (Urberg Fort) and made Auerbach one of the most secure and modern castles in the world at that time.

Dinner theater and knights' tournaments (with medieval games) are regular features at the castle. Since spring 2007 the north and south towers are accessible to the public after extensive restoration.

Auerbach Castle

The Alsbacher Schloss near Alsbach-Hähnlein on Bergstrasse , in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district , is more of a fortress and was previously called Burg Bickenbach .

History

Bickenbach Castle was built around 1235 by the Lords of Bickenbach on the 257 m high hill above the village of Alsbach, which was first mentioned in 773 in the Lorsch Codex . The predecessor was probably a moth near Alsbach, on the so-called hamlet hill . Since the 14th century, the castle was a Ganerbeburg in the joint possession of six owners. After one of the heirs, Hartmann (also Hamman ) Ulner von Dieburg , robbed merchants of the city of Frankfurt am Main , the city overran the castle in 1463 and burned it down. However, the facility was soon rebuilt.

From 1483 to 1502, one of the heirs , Erasmus Schenk von Erbach († 1503), managed to buy out almost all of the other heirs (including the Archbishop of Mainz and the Counts of Mansfeld) and to bring the castle and rule into his own possession to 5/6 , and from 1488 he called himself "Herr zu Erbach und Bickenbach".

When in the year 1504, the Landshut War of Succession , the so-called "Bavarian feud" broke out, was Rupert of the Rhine because of its Erbstreits with Duke Albrecht IV. Of Bavaria on April 23 by King Maximilian I with the outlawed occupied. Landgrave Wilhelm II of Hesse , entrusted by Maximilian with the execution of the eight, first took the Palatinate Castle Otzberg and then besieged the Alsbach Castle , since the taverns from Erbach were Palatinate vassals. The castle commandant Hans Gans von Otzberg did not let a storm come off and handed the keys of the castle to the landgrave on June 9, 1504. After the end of the War of Succession, Landgrave Wilhelm no longer gave the castle and the Bickenbach office . Wilhelm's son Philip the Magnanimous had the defense works repaired and reinforced. In his will he transferred the castle and the office of Bickenbach to his sons from his morganatic marriage with Margarete von der Saale , the Count of Diez . You seem to have had it in your hands as early as 1562. After the last of the Counts von Diez died in 1575, the property fell to Landgrave Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1577 .

In the course of the 17th century, but especially in the 18th century, the castle fell into disrepair, so that today the complex is only preserved as a ruin .

The main castle was laid out in a classic triangular shape. Parts of the outer curtain wall and a narrow kennel are also preserved. Most impressive is certainly the mighty - restored - keep , which is accessible from the defensive wall.

Historical and cultural development association Schloss Alsbach e. V.

Today, the facility is run by the Citizens' Association of Historic and Cultural Förderverein Schloss Alsbach e. V. , who has been managing the facility since 2000 on behalf of the State of Hesse. Numerous events are held to finance the maintenance of the castle. The association was founded on September 18, 1997 by the Alsbach heraldist and historian Dieter Krieger on the recommendation of the property management of the State of Hesse (state property management), the historical and cultural development association Schloss Alsbach . He has set himself the goal of promoting the castle ruins, maintaining, maintaining, beautifying and restoring them. Furthermore, the association aims to present the Hessian cultural property, Schloss Alsbach, to the visitors through cultural events and make it a popular and worth seeing excursion destination for the whole family. The association has been managing the castle independently since 2000.

Castle garden

Several herb gardens were set up in the entrance area and in the outer bailey. They are divided into a historical part with herbs from the garden of Hildegard von Bingen and the Capitular Emperor Charlemagne and a modern garden with modern herbs. There is also a rosarium with historical scented roses and a medieval grass bank, as well as a vineyard. Every year around 200 half-liter bottles of the castle wine "Barbakan" are bottled from the Regent vine .


https://de.zxc.wiki

Alsbacher Schloss

Schloss Heiligenberg is a castle to the east of Jugenheim, part of Seeheim-Jugenheim, about 12 kilometres to the south of Darmstadt. It is built on the Heiligenberg, with panoramic views of the Rhineland as far as the Palatinate. It is now the headquarters of the Amtes für Lehrerbildung, though its 'Gartensaal' is occasionally used for concerts and art exhibitions.

At the start of the nineteenth century a castle was built on the Heiligenberg. Grand Duchess Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt and her son, Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt, added an extension designed by Georg Moller in 1862–1867 . Alexander (1823–1888), third son of Grand Duke Louis II of Hesse-Darmstadt, from 1852 onwards mainly lived in Darmstadt or at the Schloss Heiligenberg, at least when he was not on campaign. On 28 October 1851 he entered a morganatic marriage with countess Julia Hauke, a lady in waiting to his sister, Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Alexander and Julia were the founders of the Battenberg/Mountbatten line. Due to the family's wide-ranging royal connections, until 1914 the Schloss regularly hosted the Russian Tsar and his family as well as many other kings, princes and diplomats.

Schloss Heiligenberg (Jugenheim)

Frankenstein Castle (German: Burg Frankenstein) is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald overlooking the city of Darmstadt in Germany. It is thought that this castle may have been an inspiration for Mary Shelley when she wrote her 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein.

Frankenstein Castle is located (49°47' 35.84"N, 8°40' 5.58"E) in southern Hesse (Germany) on the spurs of the Odenwald mountain range at an elevation of 370 meter (1,200 ft.) close to the southern outskirts of Darmstadt. It is one of many historic castles along the Hessian Bergstrasse, also famous for its vineyards and its mild climate.

Frankenstein is a German name consisting of two words: The Franks are a Germanic tribe and "stein" is the German word for "stone". Accordingly, the meaning of Frankenstein is "Stone of the Franks". The word "stein" is common in names of landscapes, places and castles in Germany. Consequently, the term "Frankenstein" is a rather ordinary name for a castle in this region.

Before 1250, Lord Conrad II Reiz of Breuberg built Frankenstein Castle and thereafter named himself von und zu Frankenstein. The first document proving the existence of the castle in 1252 bears his name. He was the founder of the free imperial Barony of Frankenstein, which was subject only to the jurisdiction of the emperor, with possessions in Nieder-Beerbach, Darmstadt, Ockstadt, Wetterau and Hesse. Additionally the Frankensteins held other possession and sovereignty rights as burgraves in Zwingenberg (Auerbach (Bensheim)), in Darmstadt, Groß-Gerau, Frankfurt am Main and Bensheim. The hill on which the castle stands was probably occupied by another castle from the 11th century, which fell into ruins after Frankenstein Castle was built a short distance away to the northwest. Claims of an even older predecessor upon the hill are widespread, but historically unlikely.

In 1292 the Frankensteins opened the castle to the counts of Katzenelnbogen (County of Katzenelnbogen) Katzenelnbogen and formed an alliance with them.

In 1363, the castle was split into two parts and owned by two different families of the lords and knights of Frankenstein. At the beginning of the 15th century, the castle was enlarged and modernized. The Frankenstein knights became independent of the counts of Katzenelnbogen again.

Being both strong opponents of the reformation and following territorial conflicts, connected disputes with the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, as well as the adherence to the Roman Catholic faith and the associated "right of patronage", the family head Lord John I decided to sell the lordship to the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1662, after various lawsuits at the Imperial Chamber Court.

The castle was used as refuge and a hospital afterward, falling into ruins in the 18th century. The two towers that are so distinctive today are a historically inaccurate restoration carried out in the mid-19th century.

The Odenwald, the mountain range on which Frankenstein Castle is located, is a landscape with dark forests and narrow valleys shrouded in mystery and enshrined in legend. Many folktales and myths exist about Frankenstein Castle. None of them have been verified as fact, but all of them have influenced the culture and traditions of the region.

In 1673 Johann Conrad Dippel was born in the castle, where he was later engaged as a professional alchemist. It is suggested that Dippel influenced Mary Shelley's fantasy when she wrote her Frankenstein novel, though there is no mention of the castle in Shelley's journals from the time. However, it is known that in 1814, prior to writing the famous novel, Shelley took a journey on the river Rhine. She spent a few hours in the town of Gernsheim, which is located about ten miles away from the castle. Several nonfiction books on the life of Mary Shelley claim Dippel as a possible influence.

Dippel created an animal oil known as Dippel's Oil which was supposed to be equivalent to the "elixir of life." Dippel attempted to purchase Castle Frankenstein in exchange for his elixir formula, which he claimed he had recently discovered; the offer was turned down. There are also rumours that during his stay at Frankenstein Castle, Dippel practiced not only alchemy but also anatomy and may have performed experiments on dead bodies that he exhumed. There are rumours that he dug up bodies and performed medical experiments on them at the castle and that a local cleric would have warned his parish that Dippel had created a monster that was brought to life by a bolt of lightning. There are local people who still claim today that this actually happened and that this tale was related to Shelley's stepmother by the Brothers Grimm, the German ethnologists. However, none of these claims have been proven to this date, and some local researchers doubt any connection between Mary Shelley and Frankenstein Castle.

One of the most famous legends is about Lord George and a dragon, by August Nodnagel (1803-1853). It is said that long ago a dangerous dragon lived in the garden near the well at the castle of Burg Frankenstein. The peasants of a neighboring village (Nieder-Beerbach) lived in fear of the mighty dragon. It is said the dragon would creep in at night and eat the villagers and their children in their sleep. One day a knight by the name of Lord George rode into town. The townsfolk were desperate, seeing a brave knight gave them hope, and they poured out their troubles and sorrows as he promised to help them. The next day he put on his armor and rode up to the castle, into the garden and straight to the well where the dragon was taking a rest in the sun. Lord George got off his horse and attacked the dragon. The dragon fought for his life, puffed and spewed out fire and steam. Hours passed as the two continued to battle. Finally, just as the knight was about to drop from exhaustion, and just as the dragon was going to drop from exhaustion, the knight plunged his sword into the underbelly of the beast and was victorious. But as the dragon struggled in agony, it coiled its tail with the poisonous spine around the knight's belly and stung. Lord George and the dragon both fell. The villagers were so happy and relived that the dragon was finally slain they wanted to give the knight a proper, honorable burial. They brought him to the Church of Nieder Beerbach, in the valley on the east side of the castle, and gave him a marvelous tomb. To this day, you can still visit and pay your respects to Lord George, the Knight who slayed the Dragon in the 1200s.

Hidden behind the herb garden of the castle, there is a fountain of youth. The word has it that in the first full-moon night after Walpurgis Night old women from the nearby villages had to undergo tests of courage. The one who succeeded became rejuvenated to the age she had been in the night of her wedding. It is not known if this tradition is still being practiced these days.

In the 18th century, a gold rush caused some turmoil near Frankenstein Castle. It is believed that a legend and visions of fortunetellers caused local residents to believe that a treasure was hidden near the castle. In 1763 chaotic scenes took place which even an intervention of a priest from the neighbouring village Nieder-Beerbach could not stop.

Even though no gold-filled vaults were ever found, fortune-hunters did not abandon the digging until one Johann Heinrich Drott was killed when his dig collapsed on him. He was given a suicide's burial. 

In 1770, 1787 and 1788 further attempts were made, but nothing of any value was found. It was then that local authorities banned further gold-digging.

Frankenstein Castle gained international attention when the SyFy TV-Show Ghost Hunters International made a whole episode about the castle in 2008 (Episode 107) and claimed it would show "significant paranormal activity". The investigators met with a Frankenstein expert who guided Robb Demarest, Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois and their colleague through the castle and discussed its legends and paranormal sightings. After discussing their personal experiences, the team used audio and video devices for their investigation. Sounds from the chapel and the entrance tower sounded like words and a ultrasonic recorder picked up signals in the chapel. A recorded sound was identified as a phrase in Old German that means "Arbo is here", which was interpreted as "Arbo" probably meaning "Arbogast", the name of a knight of the castle, announcing his presence and claim over the land. A second sound bite was interpreted to mean "come here". The team left Frankenstein Castle convinced that there is some sort of paranormal activity going on.

In a remote part of the forest behind Frankenstein Castle on 417 meter high Mount Ilbes, compasses do not work properly due to magnetic stone formations of natural origin. Local nature enthusiasts and witchcraft practitioners are said to perform rituals at these magnetic places on special occasions like Walpurgis Night or summer solstice. The magnetic stones can be visited by everyone, but it is advisable not to disturb ongoing ritual activities at any means. Legend has it that Mount Ilbes is the second most important meeting place for witches in Germany after Mount Brocken in the Harz.

Close to Frankenstein Castle, a large felsenmeer ("sea of rocks") near the village of Lautertal is assumed to be a major scene of the Nibelungenlied. Allegedly, the dragon slayer Siegfried, on a hunting trip leading him from the Burgundian city of Worms into the Odenwald, was murdered by Hagen of Tronje at the Felsenmeer's Siegfriedsquelle ("Siegfried's wellspring"). In some stories the region is connected to the apparition of legendary creatures, like knight George fighting against a man-eating lindworm near Frankenstein Castle, or creatures of nature with magic potency (e.g. a water spirit that changed into a fox near Niedernhausen). There is some evidence that even the name of the entire region is a hint to a mystical background: Odenwald means "The Woods of Odin".

Despite being a well-known tourist destination, Frankenstein castle has never been developed into a commercial tourist attraction on a large scale. Local people use the mountain chain on which Frankenstein Castle is located for sport activities like hiking and mountain biking. Normally the castle is open to the public until late at night, on-site parking is possible right at the castle and a restaurant serves food and refreshments. Admission and parking are free except during special occasions like the Halloween festival, when there is a charge for admission. However, there are no further tourist facilities on the site.

Since the year 2000, the chapel at Frankenstein Castle has been in use as a registry office for civil wedding ceremonies handled by the municipality of Mühltal.

In 1978, American airmen from the 435th Transportation Squadron stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base started an annual Halloween festival at the castle, which became one of the biggest Halloween festivals in Europe. In 1977, the 440th Signal Battalion organized a 13 km running competition routed along steep forest trails from Cambrai-Fritsch Army Housing Site in Darmstadt to the castle. The Frankenstein Castle Run was held until 2008 when all American forces left Darmstadt. The city of Darmstadt organized a final race in October 2008.

A restaurant with a sun terrace, located right below the castle towers, offers regular service as well as special events (e.g., Horror Dinner Nights).

The castle is easily accessible via Autobahn A5, exit "Darmstadt-Eberstadt". The site is 35 km (20 mi) from Frankfurt International Airport. The public transport system of Darmstadt serves tram stop "Frankenstein" (located at the foot of the mountain range, a steep 3 km walk from the ruins) with tram lines 1, 6, 7 and 8.

Frankenstein Castle

The  Wachenburg  is a castle on a hill overlooking Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was built between 1907 and 1928 by the Weinheimer Senioren-Convent, a Corps of former students. The castle contains a restaurant with a nice view of the country.

Wachenburg

Windeck Castle stands on a small hill in Weinheim on the Bergstraße. It was built around 1100 to protect the inhabitants of the Lorsch monastery.

It was hugely damaged in 1674 by the troops of King Louis XIV of France. In 1960, the ruins were restored, the palace walls newly erected and the donjon safeguarded. It was acquired in 1978 by the city of Weinheim. In the 1980s, archaeological examinations and conservation works were carried out, and the ground plan was found, which gave an idea of the dimensions of the fortress. Today, the ruins of a fortress Windeck are classified as a historical monument.

A beer garden operates on its premises.

Windeck Castle (Weinheim)

Otzberg Castle (German: Veste Otzberg) in the German state of Hesse is a medieval castle on the summit of the Otzberg in the Odenwald forest at a height of 367 m above NN. On its northern slopes is the village of Hering, which grew out of the lower ward or castellan's settlement. The history of castle and village is therefore closely interwoven.

The region around the Otzberg probably belonged to the territory that King Pippin gifted in 766 A.D. to Fulda Abbey, together with Groß-Umstadt.

Otzberg Castle was probably built in the late 12th/early 13th century. At this time, Abbot Marquard I of Fulda secured the abbey estates and built castles that were visible from a long way as a sign of his influence.

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He transferred the castle to Conrad of Hohenstaufen, brother of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, as vogt. Conrad was Count Palatine of the Rhine.

The castrum Othesberg was first mentioned in the records in 1231. In this document the Archbishop of Mainz, Siegfried III, also the overseer of Fulda Abbey, guaranteed to Count Palatine Otto II the arrangement agreed in the previous year, the details of which are unknown.

In 1244 the castellanos de odesbrech are mentioned for the first time: the castellans or Burgmannen of Otzberg Castle. The fortifications must have been sufficiently developed that five castellans and their servants were able to occupy it. The castellans built houses in the village of Hering, so-called "castellan's houses" or Burgmannenhäuser. Of these only parts of the house owned by Gans of Otzberg have survived.

In the early 14th century, the resources of Fulda Abbey ran out so, in 1332, Prince-Abbot Henry VI of Hohenberg enfeoffed Otzberg Castle and the Fulda part of Umstadt for 4,600 pounds of Heller to Werner of Anevelt and Engelhard of Frankenstein, who carried out building work at Otzberg to the tune of 200 pounds.

In 1374 Fulda redeemed the estate again, but enfeoffed in the same year Otsperg die burg ("Otzberg the castle"), Heringes die stat darundir ("Hering the town below it") and half of Umstadt for 23,875 guilders to Ulrich of Hanau, who also carried out work on the castle, for 400 guilders.

In 1390 the abbey sold Otzberg and Hering and the half of Umstadt with the Hanau fief, which had meanwhile increased in value to 33,000 guilders, to Count Palatine Rupert II.

In 1504 the Bavarian Feud partly involved Otzberg. In the dispute over the Landshut succession, Emperor Maximilian imposed the imperial ban on Count Palatine Philip for a breach of the Landfrieden. Landgrave William II of Hesse seized Otzberg by force. After the Reichstag of Constance in 1507, Electoral Palatinate received the Amt of Otzberg back again and did not enfeoff it again. But weapon technology had changed so that the castle could no longer simply be held by castellans. In 1511, a Zwinger was built, the inner wall was strengthened and a new gatehouse built.

In the mid-16th century a stone town wall was built around the lower ward (the village of Hering).

In 1621, during the Thirty Years' War, a Bavarian corps of 2,000 men and imperial and Spanish troops camped in the area of Otzberg-Umstadt and besiged Otzberg Castle. A year later, in 1622, the garrison surrendered the castle. The castle and amt of Otzberg as well as half of Umstadt went back to Hesse in 1623 as compensation for war damage suffered.

In 1647 the French took the castle. They based themselves at the castle and helped themselves to the food and provisions. As a result of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 Otzberg was returned to the Palatinate.

Although the whole of the Palatinate was in French hands during the Napoleonic Wars, the two Ämter of Otzberg and Umstadt remained Electoral Palatine. At that time the Palatine Archives were stored at Otzberg Castle, in which one can read the property claims for a new era.

WIth the stabilisation of the political situation, Otzberg Castle lost its military importance for the Palatinate. From 1711 active service soldiers were gradually replaced by disabled veterans, sot that from 1720 the castle became purely an invalids garrison, which guarded the prisoners incarcerated there.

In 1802 the Electoral Palatine Oberamt of Otzberg went to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, which used it from 1803 as a state prison.

In 1818 Otzberg Castle was abandoned as a military location.

On 25 July 1826 the Finance Ministry in Darmstadt issued a decree that the tower of the castle, the commandant's house with its small stables, the doctor's house, the stable near the Marketenderei, the well house and the new barracks (Bandhaus) should be preserved. All other buildings should be sold for demolition.

In 1921 the Bandhaus was converted into a youth hostel.

In the 1950s a forestry office and a restaurant were housed in the commandant's house. This arrangement continued until the mid-60s when the place was rented to various tenants to run the restaurant.

In 1985, a museum the Collection of Folk Art in Hesse (Sammlung zur Volkskunde in Hessen) moved into the Bandhaus. In 1996 the Korporalshaus was rebuilt. It has since been used as a museum building and location for the Standesamt of the municipality of Otzberg.

The occupants from the outset were soldiers; in the 14th century, six men lived there; around 1471 there were 14 people. Specialised paid soldiers first appeared in the 16th century when the place was converted into a defensible fortification.

The appearance of the fortress is dominated by its double concentric walls built in the 16th century and oval in shape, and the bergfried which is of Romanesque origin. Its character is still that of a fortress from the time after the introduction of artillery, typical castle features, like towers are entirely missing.

The bergfried, also known locally as the Weiße Rübe ("White Beet", also the name for the wild turnip), is the oldest building in the castle. On clear days the visitor can see the whole of the county of Darmstadt-Dieburg and as far as the city of Frankfurt am Main and the Taunus hills from the top of the 17-metre-high keep.

The castle well dates to about 1320 and is one of the deepest wells in Hesse. After recent excavations the depth of the well has now been estimated as about 50 metres. Next to it is a 1788 treadwheel that made it considerably easier to raise water.

The commandant's house (Kommandantenhaus), in which the castle pub is housed today, was built in 1574 together with several other new buildings.

The palas houses the Otzberg Museum – Documenting the history of Veste Otzberg.

The old cabinet room was later used as a barrack. Due to the Hessian demolition decree (hessischen Abrissverfügung) of 1806 it was one of the few buildings that was destroyed at Otzberg Castle. Today, only the wall foundations remain.

The "corporal's house" (Korporalshaus), rebuilt in 1996 is used as a registry by the municipality of Otzberg.

