Lauenstein Castle

Lauenstein Castle is a former hill castle that is now in ruins. It lies above the Salzhemmendorf village of Lauenstein in the German state of Lower Saxony. The castle was built in the 13th century by the barons of Homburg. From the 16th century it became militarily insignificant and was demolished in the 19th century due to its increasing state of dilapidation.LocationThe ruins of Lauenstein castle are located on the edge of Ith ridge on a hill summit above the village of Lauenstein. The castle terrain is covered by thick forest that was planted in the 19th century when the hill was reutilised.SiteThe roughly 50 x 50 metre castle plateau lies on an eminence that is surrounded by steep hillsides. It is protected on all sides by a wide moat. The direct access to the castle was built in the form of a zwinger in front of the gateway whose walls are still 4 metres high today. Parts of the enceinte of the castle still exists. There is an information board at the entrance to the castle site, although there is a risk of collapse or falling due to the state of the ruined walls and the steep hillsides.HistoryLauenstein Castle was first recorded in 1247 having been built by the barons of Homburg at the beginning of the 13th century after their existing castle of Spiegelberg, not far away, had been destroyed in 1226. In 1247 Heinrich von Homburg transferred the castle to the Welf duke, Otto the Child. At the same time he received it back as a fief. Thereafter inhabitants of abandoned villages settled in the surrounding area under the protection of the castle and founded the village of Lauenstein, first mentioned in 1430. The Homburg Amt of Lauenstein had its seat in the castle. In 1359 it encompassed 40 villages in the region between the Ith and Hils ridges and the Leine river.