Schloss Rotenberg

Schloss Rotenberg stands above the village of Rotenberg, part of Rauenberg in the Rhein-Neckar district. Its present building dates from 1921–22, though the site has been fortified since at least the 13th century. The earlier castle changed hands many times between bishops and knights, and was besieged or burned in several wars. After the Thirty Years’ War it served as a residence until its keeper moved to Rauenberg in 1720. By 1809 the structure was sold for demolition yet survived in parts.

The castle’s Renaissance portal, built between 1540 and 1542 under Bishop Philipp II von Flersheim, still shows the bishop’s coat of arms. In 1905–06 Eugenie Mayfarth began partial rebuilding, and in 1919 Franz von Reichenau completed the work. The new two-wing building has a round corner tower and a Neo-Renaissance bay window facing the valley. A road named after von Reichenau now leads up to the Schloss from the fields below.

Visitors see the symmetrical 20th-century façade and the preserved Renaissance doorway set in older foundations. The round tower offers views across the surrounding countryside. Inside, the interior was arranged for youth hostel use after 1945, so today’s visitors share the space with organised groups. The castle’s outer walls still hint at the medieval outline, while the newer wings frame a small courtyard. From the Von-Reichenau-Straße the approach gives a clear view of the building’s simple mass and the single surviving historic detail.