# Neuenstein Castle

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**Neuenstein Castle** (German: *Schloss Neuenstein*) is a [castle](/source/Schloss) in the middle of the town of [Neuenstein](/source/Neuenstein,_Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg). Built as the seat of the [Hohenlohe-Neuenstein](/source/Hohenlohe-Neuenstein) noble family, it now houses a castle museum and, with the Neuenstein Hohenlohe Central Archives, the shared house archive of the [House of Hohenlohe](/source/House_of_Hohenlohe), which is looked after by the [State of Baden-Württemberg](/source/State_of_Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg).[1]

## History

The origins of the present castle can be found in a [Hohenstaufen](/source/Hohenstaufen) [moated castle](/source/Moated_castle) from the early 13th century. It stood on a sandbank in a swampy area near an old long-distance trade route that led from the [Rhine](/source/Rhine) via [Wimpfen](/source/Bad_Wimpfen) east to the [Danube](/source/Danube).

Around 1230, the complex was owned by the Lords of Stein, whose descendants later called themselves "von Neuenstein". Around 1300, the Neuenstein estate came to the [House of Hohenlohe](/source/House_of_Hohenlohe), which still owns the castle today. [Gottfried von Hohenlohe](/source/Gottfried_von_Hohenlohe), who lived at [Weikersheim Castle](/source/Weikersheim_Castle), was a follower of [Emperor](/source/Holy_Roman_Emperor) [Frederick II](/source/Frederick_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) and tutor to his son [Conrad IV](/source/Conrad_IV_of_Germany). He allegedly survived a murder plot in [Regensburg](/source/Regensburg) in 1250, the mastermind of which was [Albert I](/source/Albert_I_of_Pietengau), the [Bishop of Regensburg](/source/Bishop_of_Regensburg). King Konrad gave Gottfried [fiefdoms](/source/Fiefdom) in Regensburg in gratitude for his help. This also included the [bailiwick](/source/Bailiwick) of the canons' monastery of [Öhringen](/source/%C3%96hringen), founded in 1037, as well as the castles and manors in Neuenstein and Waldenburg. The different castles were divided many times between the respective generations. [Louis Casimir, Count of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein](/source/Louis_Casimir,_Count_of_Hohenlohe-Neuenstein) (1517–1568) founded the Neuenstein line (with the possessions of [Langenburg](/source/Langenburg), [Ingelfingen](/source/Ingelfingen), [Öhringen](/source/%C3%96hringen) and [Kirchberg](/source/Illerkirchberg)), one of the two main lines of the House of Hohenlohe that still exist today; the other (the Waldenburg line) was founded by his half-brother [Eberhard, Count of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg](/source/Eberhard,_Count_of_Hohenlohe-Waldenburg) (1535–1570) (with [Waldenburg](/source/Waldenburg,_Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg), [Bartenstein](/source/Bartenstein) and [Schillingsfürst](/source/Schillingsf%C3%BCrst)) in the main state division of 1551.[2] After the complex had already been expanded in the 15th century,[3] Count Louis Casimir had the castle redesigned into a castle in the Renaissance style by the [Heilbronn](/source/Heilbronn) master builder [Balthasar Wolff](/source/Balthasar_Wolff).[4][5] The expansion lasted until the beginning of the 17th century.[6]

After [Wolfgang Julius von Hohenlohe-Neuenstein](/source/Wolfgang_Julius,_Count_of_Hohenlohe-Neuenstein) died in 1698, the family moved their residence to Öhringen to the former canons' monastery, which was renovated in [baroque style](/source/Baroque_style) in keeping with contemporary taste. Neuenstein Castle subsequently stood empty and rapidly fell into disrepair. Later it served as a breeding and workhouse, a retirement home and an orphanage.[7]

### 1800 to present

From 1870 onwards, renovation work was carried out in the Imperial Hall in order to then lay the foundation for a family museum of the House of Hohenlohe with a collection of antiques from [Kirchberg Castle](/source/Kirchberg_Castle).[8] It was one of the first private museums in Germany and was open to the public from 1878.[6]

At the beginning of the 20th century, Prince [Christian Kraft Herzog zu Hohenlohe-Öhringe](/source/Christian_Kraft_Herzog_zu_Hohenlohe-%C3%96hringe) commissioned the architect and castle researcher [Bodo Ebhardt](/source/Bodo_Ebhardt) to carry out a comprehensive restoration of the castle.[9] The work took place between 1906 and 1925.[6] In the course of this, the complex was expanded by another floor, which, as a new building, enabled greater living comfort than the Renaissance floors. After the expropriation of their [Silesian](/source/Upper_Silesia) residence [Sławięcice Palace](/source/S%C5%82awi%C4%99cice_Palace) in 1945 and the sales of the Kirchberg and [Ingelfingen](/source/Ingelfingen) castles in 1952 and Öhringen in 1961 (as well as the Friedrichsruhe hunting lodge in [Zweiflingen](/source/Zweiflingen) in 2005), Neuenstein Castle is now both a museum and residence of the owner, Prince of Hohenlohe-Oehringen (b. 1933).

### Architecture

The [Renaissance style](/source/Renaissance_style) [castle](/source/Castle) is a closed four-wing building with six floors. At its northwest corner stands the [Romanesque](/source/Romanesque_architecture) [keep](/source/Keep) of the former castle. Two further corners are occupied by high round towers. A bridge leads to the entrance, which is decorated with the coats of arms of [Louis Casimir, Count of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein](/source/Louis_Casimir,_Count_of_Hohenlohe-Neuenstein), and his wife Anna von [Solms-Laubach](/source/Solms-Laubach).[10]

## References

1. Röhl, John C. G. (19 August 2004). [*Wilhelm II: The Kaiser's Personal Monarchy, 1888-1900*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Wilhelm_II/lkqh9UV3yvUC&pg=PA1172). [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). p. 1172. ISBN 978-0-521-81920-6. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Schultz, Nancy Lusignan (26 April 2011). [*Mrs. Mattingly's Miracle: The Prince, The Widow, and the Cure That Shocked Washington City*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mrs_Mattingly_s_Miracle/oahiAIzzvtkC&pg=PA85). [Yale University Press](/source/Yale_University_Press). p. 85. ISBN 978-0-300-17170-9. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Osten, Gert von der & Vey, Horst (1969). [*Painting and Sculpture in Germany and the Netherlands, 1500 to 1600*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Painting_and_Sculpture_in_Germany_and_th/XrLxrBlLkl0C&pg=PA257). Penguin. p. 257. ISBN 978-0-14-056031-2. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. [*Das Königreich Württemberg: eine Beschriebung von Land, Volk und Staat*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Das_K%C3%B6nigreich_W%C3%BCrttemberg/4GkPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA282) (in German). W. Kohlhammer. 1884. p. 282. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Baedeker (Firm), Karl (1925). [*Württemberg und Hohenzollern: schwäbische Alb, Bodensee, Württembergischer Schwarzwald. Handbuch für Reisende*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/W%C3%BCrttemberg_und_Hohenzollern/f0cbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA42) (in German). K. Baedeker. p. 42. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. ["Schloss Neuenstein"](https://www.fuersthohenlohe.de/schloss-neuenstein/) (in German). *www.fuersthohenlohe.de*. Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Todd, Charles Burr (1896). ["German Castles--VII | The Palace"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Architect_and_Building_News/gZMzAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA51). *The American Architect and Building News*. James R. Osgood & Company. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Hudson, Kenneth & Nicholls, Ann (18 June 1985). [*The Directory of Museums & Living Displays*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Directory_of_Museums_Living_Displays/w5GvCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA368). Springer. p. 368. ISBN 978-1-349-07014-5. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. [*Württembergische Vierteljahrshefte für Landesgeschichte*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/W%C3%BCrttembergische_Vierteljahrshefte_f%C3%BCr/Ux4KAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA4-PA200) (in German). W. Kohlhammer. 1920. p. 200. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

1. Schiffer, Peter (2003). [*Zum ewigen Gedächtnis: Beiträge einer Arbeitstagung des Württembergischen Landesmuseums Stuttgart ...*](https://books.google.com/books?id=yuHVAAAAMAAJ) (in German). Thorbecke. p. 34. ISBN 978-3-7995-7651-2. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

## External links

- [Neuenstein Castle](https://www.fuersthohenlohe.de/schloss-neuenstein/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neuenstein Castle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuenstein_Castle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuenstein_Castle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.