Spalt

Burg Wernfels

High above the idyllic Rezat Valley, in a magnificent secluded location above the Spalt district of the same name, lies Wernfels Castle. With its prominent position, classic compact layout and rusticated stone facades, it corresponds quite closely to the ideal image of a romantic knight's castle. Since 1925, Wernfels Castle has been owned by the Bavarian YMCA, which has converted and expanded it into one of the most popular youth hostels in Germany. 

The oldest surviving parts of the castle date from the second half of the 13th century, but archaeological finds such as pottery indicate that the castle rock had already been inhabited for at least 100 years prior to this. Until 1200, the land probably belonged to the Counts of Abenberg. In 1283, the ministerial Albertus II ‘dictus Rindesmul de Werdenfels’ is documented as the owner, who sold the castle on the ‘valuable rock’ to the Eichstätt prince-bishop Reinmoto von Meilenhart in 1284. It was then used for over 500 years as the official residence of the Eichstätt district office of Wernfels-Spalt and was gradually expanded: in the 14th/15th century, a tall, pointed tower, a curtain wall with a gate tower, a drawbridge and a larger steward's house were added. In 1600, Bishop Johann Conrad von Gemmingen had the interior of the previously Gothic castle rebuilt in Renaissance style. Around 1700, the castle chapel of St. Anna was built on the south side of the castle courtyard, and in 1785, servants' quarters were added.

In the course of secularisation, the castle, already threatened by decay, passed into private ownership in 1803. In 1882, it was acquired by Munich art professor and ‘battle painter’ Louis Braun, who began renovating the dilapidated complex. Windows, doors and stoves were replaced, and the knights' hall on the second floor was converted into a studio. In 1918, Braun's widow sold the castle to Mrs Valeska Schonath, who in turn sold it seven years later to the Bavarian Protestant Young Men's Association, the predecessor of today's CVJM Bayern. With a great deal of idealism, enormous donations and over 10,000 hours of voluntary work, the young Christians made the castle habitable again. As a result, Wernfels Castle became the centrepiece of Protestant youth work in Bavaria until it was banned by the National Socialists at the end of 1933. Nevertheless, people continued to meet secretly at the castle, with participants without official leave permits hiding in a secret passageway that still exists today during Gestapo checks. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the castle fell silent. By spring 1941 at the latest, the castle was being used by the Volksdeutsches Meldestelle (Ethnic German Registration Office) to house so-called ethnic German returnees, mainly from Eastern Europe. 

At the end of the war, the castle was returned to the future CVJM Bayern, which, with the support of the American occupying forces, repaired it and filled it with life once again. From 1965 onwards, the complex was extensively renovated and modernised. From 1965 onwards, the complex underwent extensive renovation and modernisation. In the mid-1970s, it became a member of the German Youth Hostel Association (DJH), which brought many new guests to the castle: school classes, youth groups and families. Wernfels Castle became a place of adventure – and literally grew with its tasks. Over the decades, constant structural changes and additions have made it what it is today: a place for young people and encounters, combining medieval flair with modern facilities.

Burg Wernfels
CVJM Burg Wernfels
Burgweg 7-9
91174 Spalt
Telefon +49 (0) 9873 976120
Telefax +49 (0) 9873 244
burg@cvjm-bayern.de
www.burg-wernfels.de