Windeck Castle of Baden-Württemberg by EuroTourData

Windeck Castle history

The castle became a bone of contention between the Archbishop of Mainz and the prince-electors of the Palatinate. In the 13th and 14th centuries and between 1450 and 1560 the castle was enlarged to its present size. After 1344 there was a significant expansion of the castle. The castle was not a fiefdom of a noble family but only secured and managed by appointed wardens. The castle survived the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War tolerably but had to be repaired in 1663.

In 1674, the castle was sacked and destroyed by French troops under the command of General Henri de Turenne. French troops made the castle useless as a defensive structure. The ruins served as a quarry for the inhabitants of Weinheim to reconstruct their homes. The town of Weinheim has owned the castle since 1978 and has significantly restored and strengthened the castle ruins.