Castle Kastellaun

Kastellaun Castle
Burg Kastellaun
ruins of the lower castle
General information
Town or city	Kastellaun, Rhineland-Palatinate
Country	Germany
Coordinates	50°4′15″N 7°26′18″E / 50.07083°N 7.43833°E / 50.07083; 7.43833
Completed	ca. 1200 - 1226

Kastellaun Castle (German: Burg Kastellaun) is a ruined medieval castle in Kastellaun in the Rhein-Hunsrück district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

The ruins of the castle are on the castle hill above the town of Kastellaun and are connected to the former wall of the town.

Constructed in the 13th century, the castle is first mentioned in 1226 as Kestilun, a possession of the Count of Sponheim. In 1301 it was the residence of Simon II of Sponheim-Kreuznach.

In 1321, Archbishop Baldwin of Trier besieged the castle. In 1325 he built the neighbouring Burg Balduinseck as a challenge to Sponheim.

After Walram of Sponheim-Kreuznach abandoned Kastellaun in 1340, the castle was administered by bailiffs and burgmänner. The line of the counts of Sponheim subsequently died out and the castle descended with the title to Bernhard II, Margrave of Baden and Count Friedrich of Veldenz, who ruled jointly in a "condominium".

The last Count of Veldenz died in 1444 and his share of the rulership passed to his son-in-law Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken. This drew the Rear County of Sponheim into the Palatine sphere of influence, involving it in war and the possession of the Palatinate.

In 1594 Edward Fortunatus retreated to Castle Kastellaun after losing the Margravate of Baden, and it became a residence again.