Meersburg Castle

Meersburg Castle, also known as the Alte Burg, in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany is the oldest inhabited castle in Germany. The central tower was first built during the 7th century, though the original structure is no longer visible. Burg Meersburg is known as the old castle, in the reference to the neighboring 18th century New Castle.LocationThe Burg Meersburg is located on a rocky outcropping near Lake Constance . The castle is located about 440 m above sea level and towers above the Lower City, but is about level with the rest of the city.HistoryConstruction theoriesThere are two theories about the construction of the Meersburg. The first is that the Merovingian king Dagobert I built the Dagobertturm (Dagobert's Tower), the central keep of the Meersburg, in 630. Around 630, Dagobert was in the Lake Constance region working on the Christianization of the Alamanni. This theory is based on a source from 1548, and was supported by Joseph von Laßberg who lived in the castle during the 19th century. A charter issued by Frederick Barbarossa on 27 November 1155, citing older, questionable sources, mentions that the boundaries of the Bishopric of Constance were established by Dagobert himself indicating that Dagobert was personally involved in establishing rulers in the region.