Grafendahn Castle

P3

The Dahn Castle Group

The castle Grafendahn located in the southern Palatinate Forest, the German part of the Wasgau, about 1 km east of Rhineland-Palatinate town of Dahn.

Location

The rock castle belongs to the Dahn Castle group, are among the more castles Altdahn and Tanstein. The three castles were not the same, but right next to each other built on a mountain ridge. A similar form of castle building can be found, for example, in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace in the top three castles of Husseren.

History

Grafendahn was built in 1287 by Konrad von Mursel, the vassal of the bishops of Speyer and a grandson of Friedrich von Dahn (see Altdahn ) was. The castle was designed from the outset as Ganerbenburg. Already in 1288 there was next to Konrad Mursel five more Ganerben, including the Counts of Sponheim. In 1339 Count Johann II von Sponheim acquired by the various parties ( Wilhelm et al Winstein, Konrad Mursels son ) all units to the system and thus became the sole owner.

After the castle was even more firmly in 1425, she went in 1437, when the gender of the Sponheim family became extinct with the death of John V., by inheritance contract in the possession of the Margrave of Baden on. But the fortifications were not strong enough to a siege by Elector Frederick to withstand the Victorious; 1462 he took the castle and destroyed it. A systematic reconstruction apparently did not take place. In 1480 Hans von Trotha was, who was already Lehnsnehmer the Berwartstein, the elector also Grafendahn fief and made it in 1485 by buying his property. However, the castle was already referred to in 1500 as " uninhabitable ".

Until 1637, the ruinous castle was then in the possession of the Lords of Fleckenstein. 1642 she moved to the ownership of the tavern of Waldenburg, where they remained about 150 years. 1793, the plant to the bishopric of Speyer fell back as feudal lord, which then no longer re- awarded the castle as a fief.

Plant

The Grafendahn castle is the smallest of the three castles in the middle of the five castle rock. The development of the upper castle today seems somewhat unclear by modern parapet walls. To the west of the upper castle are the striking remains of a defensive wall, built against castle Tanstein. Parts are still preserved in its original height. It was built of rough stone. Inspired by the shield wall was a small palace and other residential buildings.

From the lower castle, which was on two narrow rocky terraces, several carved into the sandstone rock chambers, cattle watering and a well shaft are obtained. In a reconstructed stable block is located since 1987 the castle museum.