# Pottenstein Castle > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pottenstein_Castle > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pottenstein_Castle.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottenstein_Castle > Source revision: 1355788805 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Pottenstein Castle** (German: *Burg Pottenstein*) is one of the oldest [castles](/source/Castle) in [Franconian Switzerland](/source/Franconian_Switzerland), a region in the German state of [Bavaria](/source/Bavaria). It stands on a rock above the eponymous town of [Pottenstein](/source/Pottenstein_(Upper_Franconia)) in the [Upper Franconian](/source/Upper_Franconia) county of [Bayreuth](/source/Landkreis_Bayreuth). The castle is home to a museum and both may be visited for a fee. ## Location The [spur castle](/source/Spur_castle) is located within the [Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park](/source/Franconian_Switzerland-Veldenstein_Forest_Nature_Park) at a height of roughly 410 metres on a west-facing hill spur between the valleys of the [Püttlach](/source/P%C3%BCttlach_(river)) and the Weihersbach, immediately southeast and above the town of Pottenstein, about 22 kilometres southwest of [Bayreuth](/source/Bayreuth). In the vicinity are other castles: to the west are [Gößweinstein Castle](/source/G%C3%B6%C3%9Fweinstein_Castle), [Kohlstein Castle](/source/Kohlstein_Castle) and the ruins of the [Upper](/source/Upper_T%C3%BCchersfeld_Castle) and [Lower Castles](/source/Lower_T%C3%BCchersfeld_Castle) in [Tüchersfeld](/source/T%C3%BCchersfeld), to the east are the ruins of [Hollenberg Castle](/source/Hollenberg_Castle) and sites of [Wartberg](/source/Wartberg_Castle_(Kosbrunn)) and [Böheimstein](/source/B%C3%B6heimstein_Castle) castles. ## History of the castle ### Foundation Around 1050, the village of Pottenstein belonged to [Margrave](/source/Margrave) [Otto of Schweinfurt](/source/Otto_III_of_Swabia) and, after his death in 1057, went to his third daughter, Judith. Judith's first marriage was to [Duke](/source/Duke) [Cuno of Bavaria](/source/Conrad_I_of_Bavaria). Cuno died in 1055 and in 1057 Judith married [Boto](/source/Boto_of_Pottenstein), the younger brother of Count Palatine [Aribo II](/source/Aribo_II) of the *[edelfrei](/source/Edelfrei)* family of the [Aribonids](/source/Aribonids). In 1070 he referred to himself as *comes de Potensteine*, i.e. the Count of Pottenstein. The castle that bore his name (*Stein* i.e. "rock" of Boto) must therefore have been built between 1057 and 1070 by Boto. It was probably originally established to guard the area between the Upper [Main](/source/Main_(river)) and [Pegnitz](/source/Pegnitz_(town)) to the southeast. There is no clear documentary evidence for an alternative theory that the castle was built around 918 by King [Conrad I](/source/Conrad_I_of_East_Francia). ### Administrative castle of the Bishopric Boto died in 1104 with heirs and was buried in [Theres Abbey](/source/Theres_Abbey). Judith had died in 1066. From the fact that the castle is not among the acquisitions of [Otto I the Holy](/source/Otto_of_Bamberg), who from 1102 to 1139 held the title of [bishop](/source/Bishop), it can be concluded that Boto had sold the castle during his lifetime before or in 1102 to the [Bamberg diocese](/source/Bishopric_of_Bamberg). Around 1118 and in 1121, Bishop Otto I resided at the castle. During the following centuries, Pottenstein Castle was entrusted by the bishops of Bamberg to a *[ministerialis](/source/Ministerialis)* family who renamed themselves after the castle. The oldest known members of the family was a Wezelo of Pottenstein around 1121; in 1169 there was a Rapoto of Pottenstein. He was followed by Erchenbert or Erchenbrecht of Pottenstein from 1185 to 1221, but from about 1207 he was also a *[truchsess](/source/Truchsess)* or [steward](/source/Steward_(office)) to the bishop. His brother Henry called himself *von Pottenstein*. Other members of the family followed, including a Conrad of Pottenstein in 1240-1248, who was a [cathedral canon](/source/Cathedral_canon) from 1242. From 1227 to 1228 Pottenstein Castle served as a temporary residence for [Saint Elizabeth](/source/Elizabeth_of_Hungary), [Landgravine](/source/Landgravine) of [Thuringia](/source/Thuringia). Between 1323/1327 and 1348 the castle became the seat of an *[amt](/source/Amt_(country_subdivision))* or administrative base for the Bishopric of Bamberg. In 1348 a Gebhard Storo was the *[amtmann](/source/Amtmann)* in Pottenstein. Pottenstein was the centre of an extensive [judicial district](/source/Blood_court). The administrative area of Pottenstein was enlarged by the incorporation of smaller episcopal offices: in 1492 the *Amt* of [Tüchersfeld](/source/T%C3%BCchersfeld), in 1594 *Amt* [Leienfels](/source/Leienfels_Castle) and in 1628-1636 *Amt* [Gößweinstein](/source/G%C3%B6%C3%9Fweinstein_Castle). From the beginning of the 14th century, the castle was managed by a *[vogt](/source/Vogt)* or [advocate](/source/Advocate_(official)), who had his seat in the *Vogteihaus* in the [lower ward](/source/Lower_ward). This *Vogteihaus* was referred to in 1728 and 1743 as the Old *Vogtei*, the *vogt* had meanwhile moved, probably in 1728, to a building in the town, at the latest in 1748 he moved into the *Vogthaus*, which was purchased in 1745 and rebuilt in 1748/1749. The reason for the move was the arduous climb up to the hill castle. The only known noble *vogt* was Walter of [Streitberg](/source/Streitberg_Castle) in 1332, the later *vogts*, who held office in the late 16th century, were members of the [bourgeois estate](/source/Estates_of_the_realm). From 1500, the officers called themselves *[pflegers](/source/Pfleger)*. They were based in the so-called [cabinet](/source/Cabinet_(room)) in the [upper ward](/source/Upper_ward). In 1750 the *pfleger* of the castle also moved into the *Vogthaus* in the town. The castle was abandoned as an administrative residence and served as a corn granary. #### Warlike events During bitter fighting in 1125 between King [Lothair III](/source/Lothar_III_(HRR)) and the [Hohenstaufen](/source/Hohenstaufen) [anti-king](/source/Anti-king), [Conrad III](/source/Conrad_III_(HRR)), the town of Pottenstein was destroyed by fire but the castle survived. During the [Peasants' War](/source/German_Peasants'_War), however, it was occupied and plundered by peasants in 1525 but for fear that plummeting and burning debris could also damage houses in the town below, it was not razed. In addition, without the castle, the peasants would have been without protection against the forces of the count Palatine, the margrave and the city of [Nuremberg](/source/Nuremberg). The [Second Margrave War](/source/Second_Margrave_War), in which [Albert Alcibiades](/source/Albert_II_Alcibiades_of_Brandenburg-Kulmbach), Margrave of [Brandenburg-Kulmbach](/source/Principality_of_Bayreuth) and [Bayreuth](/source/Bayreuth) launched numerous raids and looting, resulted in heavy damage and led to the destruction of many villages and castles in the [Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire), especially in Franconia. On 18 May 1553, Pottenstein Castle was bombarded and occupied by margravial troops. Even the [castle chapel](/source/Castle_chapel) in the upper ward was destroyed and was no longer mentioned after 1553. The cost of the damage, 20,000 [guilders](/source/Guilder), indicates that it was not only the outer ward that was captured. In 1634 during the [Thirty Years' War](/source/Thirty_Years'_War) a raid by the Swede, [Colonel](/source/Colonel) Cratz, failed to take the castle. A trumpeter who pretended to have been sent by the imperial troops, appeared before the castle. He was escorted over the [drawbridge](/source/Drawbridge), but when the defenders noticed the enemy waiting outside, they quickly drew the drawbridge up. The captured trumpeter was executed after converting to Catholicism. In 1703/1704, during the [Spanish Succession War](/source/War_of_the_Spanish_Succession), a [garrison](/source/Garrison) was installed in the castle, and it was occupied by soldiers again in 1708 in 1712. In 1703, an oven was installed in the already dilapidated *[bergfried](/source/Bergfried)* for the garrison troops. After this time no further warlike events at the castle are recorded. ### Private ownership After the transfer of the diocese in 1803 to the [Bavarian state](/source/Electoral_Palatinate_of_Bavaria) during the [secularisation](/source/Secularisation) period the castle fell into ruins. In 1878, the castle came into the possession of [Nuremberg](/source/Nuremberg) pharmacist, Dr. Heinrich Kleemann, to whom the preservation of the ruins, which were then threatened by demolition, is owed. He died in 1890 and his widow sold the castle in 1900. In 1918, Pottenstein Castle was purchased by the father castellan Winzelo, [Baron](/source/Baron) of [Wintzingerode](/source/Wintzingerode_(noble_family)), who died in 2006 and whose noble family was seated at [Bodenstein Castle](/source/Bodenstein_Castle) in [Thuringia](/source/Thuringia). His life's work was the construction of the museum and the ongoing renovation of the castle complex. The castle is still owned by the family. The castle is now a privately run museum and residence where prehistoric and early historical objects are displayed along with a collection of weapons, books, [autographs](/source/Autograph) and three show rooms grouped as an ensemble. The Elizabeth Room in the former [tower house](/source/Tower_house), the western part of the *[palas](/source/Palas)*, commemorates the stay of Saint Elizabeth in 1227-1228. The accessible areas are the upper floor of the main building ([great hall](/source/Great_hall), Red Salon, Elizabeth Room), the remnants of the former *[bergfried](/source/Bergfried)*, the [well house](/source/Well_house) (porcelain, glass, ceramics and ethnographic objects) and the [tithe barn](/source/Tithe_barn) (with [tithe](/source/Tithe) exhibits, an exhibition on the recent history of [castle](/source/Castle) and changing special exhibitions). In addition to the impression of a well-preserved castle of the 16th century with a [medieval](/source/Medieval) substance, visitors may also tour the castle gardens with their outstanding views over the town and countryside. ### Murder at the castle On 2 April 1866, Max Söhnlein, who had just been released from [Bayreuth Gaol](/source/Bayreuth_Gaol), killed the wife of the castle guard with a pick in the presence of her infant. Max Söhnlein was the son of a former castle guard and committed the murder to conceal a crime. He wanted to steal clothes and money, when he realized that his parents no longer lived at the castle. He was arrested shortly thereafter in [Pegnitz](/source/Pegnitz_(town)) and sentenced on 7 May 1866 to life imprisonment at a [trial by jury](/source/Trial_by_jury) in Bayreuth. Due to his youth - he was only 20 years old - the usual [death penalty](/source/Death_penalty) could not be imposed. ## Literature - Kai Kellermann: *Herrschaftliche Gärten in der Fränkischen Schweiz – Eine Spurensuche*. Verlag Palm & Enke, Erlangen und Jena, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7896-0683-0, pp. 154–163. - Rüdiger Bauriedel, Ruprecht Konrad-Röder: *Mittelalterliche Befestigungen und niederadelige Ansitze im Landkreis Bayreuth*. Ellwanger Druck und Verlag, Bayreuth, 2007, ISBN 978-3-925361-63-0, p. 138. - Ursula Pfistermeister: *Wehrhaftes Franken – Band 3: Burgen, Kirchenburgen, Stadtmauern um Bamberg, Bayreuth und Coburg*, Fachverlag Hans Carl GmbH, Nuremberg, 2002, ISBN 3-418-00387-7, pp. 100–102. - Toni Eckert, Susanne Fischer, Renate Freitag, Rainer Hofmann, Walter Tausendpfund: *Die Burgen der Fränkischen Schweiz: Ein Kulturführer*. Gürtler Druck, Forchheim, 1997, ISBN 3-9803276-5-5, pp. 115–120. - Björn-Uwe Abels, Joachim Zeune, u.A.: *Führer zu archäologischen Denkmälern in Deutschland, Band 20: Fränkische Schweiz*. Konrad Theiss Verlag GmbH und Co., Stuttgart, 1990, ISBN 3-8062-0586-8, pp. 213–215. - Gustav Voit, Walter Rüfer: *Eine Burgenreise durch die Fränkische Schweiz*, Verlag Palm und Enke, Erlangen, 1984, ISBN 3-7896-0064-4, pp. 142–145. - Hellmut Kunstmann: *Die Burgen der östlichen Fränkischen Schweiz*. Kommissionsverlag Ferdinand Schöningh, Wurzburg, 1965, pp. 324–343. ## External links - Pottenstein Castle at [Burgenwelt.de](http://www.burgenwelt.de/) - [Home page of Pottenstein Castle](https://www.burgpottenstein.de/) - [Foracheim: history and images of Pottenstein Castle](https://www.foracheim.de/cms.php?cmspid=114) - [Home page of Pottenstein](https://www.pottenstein.de/) - [Pottenstein Castle](https://www.hdbg.eu/burgen/burgen_suche-burgen_detail.php?id=brn-0091) on the home page of the House of Bavarian History (plans, history, construction history, condition) - [Artist's impression of the castle in mediaeval times](http://burgrekonstruktion.de/main.php?g2_itemId=221/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pottenstein Castle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottenstein_Castle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottenstein_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.