Neudahn Castle
| Neudahn Castle | |
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| Burg Neudahn | |
| Dahn | |
The outer castle gate (left) and striking battery towers
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 Neudahn Castle
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| Coordinates | 49°09′47″N 7°45′26″E / 49.1630°N 7.7573°ECoordinates: 49°09′47″N 7°45′26″E / 49.1630°N 7.7573°E |
| Type | rock castle on a spur |
| Code | DE-RP |
| Height | 310 m above sea level (NN) |
| Site information | |
| Condition | ruins, part-restored |
| Site history | |
| Built | before 1240 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | ministeriales |
The rock castle of Neudahn, in the southwestern Palatine Forest in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is located at the northern end of an elongated ridge near the town of Dahn. The heart of the castle is situated on one of the sandstone rock outcrops that are typical of the Dahner Felsenland region.
Neudahn lies 2 kilometres northwest of Dahn, right of the River Lauter, which is known here in its upper reaches as the Wieslauter. The castle stands atop the Kauertberg hill, about 90 metres above the valley floor. The main castle rock is 310 metres above sea level, that of the lower ward reaches 290 metres. Immediately below the castle the Moosbach stream, which is impounded in a small woog used to feed an old mill, empties into the Wieslauter.
The name "Neudahn" ("New Dahn") is rather confusing, because the castle is older than Grafendahn Castle in the nearby group of three castles of Dahn, albeit more recent than Altdahn ("Old Dahn"). Its location enabled it to protect and block the old road running through the Wieslauter valley, the course of which is now used by the B 427 federal highway and the Wieslauter Railway.
The castle was probably built just before 1240 by order of the Bishop of Speyer, because from 1233 to 1236 the office was held by a certain Conrad IV of Dahn. The governing ministerialis was Henry of Dahn, who is also recorded as Henry Mursel of Kropsberg. He was probably granted the castle from the outset as a heritable fief. His second name, like other later heirs, indicates clearly that there were family ties with the South Palatinate – Kropsburg and Burrweiler.
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