Ehrenfels Castle (Hayingen)
Ehrenfels Castle is located in Baden-Württemberg on the Swabian Alb between Hayingen and Zwiefalten . It belongs to the municipality of Hayingen in the Reutlingen district . Located at the Hasenbach on a hill above the borders of the Glastal and the Werftal near the Wimsener Höhle , it is difficult to see from the road.
history
Located on the site of a former monastery, Ehrenfels Castle is reminiscent of a large estate. From 1735 to 1740 the abbot of the Zwiefalten monastery , Augustin Stegmüller, had the castle built as a summer residence instead of a farm in a simple baroque style. The castle is located above the 66 m long cellar that was carved into the stone. This was used as the storage cellar of the monastery, as no cellar could be dug in Zwiefalten due to the swampy soil. The coat of arms of Abbot Stegmüller can still be seen above the entrance door to the courtyard. The former chapel of the monks is also still recognizable, as well as the well-worn floors on the ground floor, especially towards the monks' kitchen.
In 1803, Ehrenfels Castle fell to Duke Friedrich II of Württemberg as part of the secularization of Zwiefalten Monastery . In the same year he gave the building with Wimsen to his Württemberg State Minister Philipp Christian Friedrich Freiherr von Normann (1756–1838) as a tribute to his achievements in negotiations with Napoleon and the French. In these negotiations, Normann succeeded in gaining territory and doubling the area of Württemberg. In addition, he helped Friedrich achieve royal dignity and was raised to the rank of count himself with the name Normann-Ehrenfels. Normann used the residence as a noble residence, the altar was removed and a flight of stairs was built leading to the baroque park. On this side of the park you can see his coat of arms. The living quarters of the monks were hung with coats of arms and wooden panels. Until 2015, the castle was owned by his great-grandson Roland Freiherr von Saint-André.
Current situation
Roland Freiherr von Saint-André , as the owner of Ehrenfels Castle, Wimsen and the surrounding area, was keen to preserve the property of historical importance. The daughter and heiress, Nicoletta Freifrau von Saint-André, who died in September 2015, took care of the approval and establishment of the "Ehrenfels Castle Saint-André Foundation" in the interests of her father. The foundation under civil law, based at Ehrenfels Castle, serves the purpose of promoting art, culture and historical history as well as monument protection and preservation. It is also used for events of all kinds and can be visited (by appointment).
Alt-Ehrenfels or Ehrenfels Castle
About one kilometer away from the castle are the ruins of Alt-Ehrenfels or Ehrenfels Castle. This was built by the Gundelfinger servants in the 13th century, who gave themselves the nickname Ehrenfels. In 1474 the castle was sold to the Zwiefalten monastery after it had previously belonged to the Hohenstein family and later to Württemberg. Since the sale, the walls fell into disrepair; Robbers are said to have stayed there, who carried out attacks on the trade route that passed by at the time and used Alt-Ehrenfels as a place of refuge. Therefore the castle was destroyed in 1516 on the orders of the Zwiefalten abbot Sebastian.
literature
- Haug, Gunter & Wassner, Manfred: In the valley of castles, Das Große Lautertal on the Swabian Alb , DRW-Verlag Weinbrenner GmbH & Co., Leinfelden-Echterdingen, 2000
Coordinates: 48 ° 15 '50.4 " N , 9 ° 27' 1.1" E