Abenberg

Abenberg Castle

Two towers – the slender Luginsland watchtower and the massive Schottenturm (Schott Tower) – dominate the striking silhouette of the castle. Neither was built until the 1880s of the 19th century. In the 11th and 12th centuries Abenberg Castle became the seat of the powerful Counts of Abenberg - church advocates of the bishops of Bamberg. After the Abenbergs had died out around 1200, the Hohenzollerns, by trade the castellans of Nuremberg, inherited the building. They began rebuilding today's castle about 1230, which went on until about 1250. Later they rarely spent any time here. In 1296 Konrad the Younger sold Abenberg to the bishop of Eichstatt. In 1806 the castle came into the possession of the Kingdom of Bavaria, which in turn sold the splendid building to a private investor. In 1875 a Munich art dealer bought the castle, saved it from total destruction and began rebuilding. The following owner, the chamber singer Anton Schott, erected the Schottenturm again and began enthusiastically excavating his castle, but in a rather dilettantish fashion. After decades of disrepair the castle was finally bought by the city of Abenberg in 1982 and in 1984 the District of Central Franconia. The House of Franconian History has been located here since 1998 and the Lace-Making Museum since 2001. During the renovation work from 1988 to 1992 archaeological investigations were carried out, leading to spectacular finds. The castle today accommodates a hotel as well as a restaurant.