Burg Merlau

Burg Merlau stands in the village of Merlau, part of Mücke in the Vogelsbergkreis of Hesse. The site was once a medieval castle, later replaced by a Renaissance water castle built between 1583 and 1591 for Landgrave Ludwig IV of Hesse-Marburg. The castle’s builder was Ebert Baldewein, a master mason who designed a complex with a moat fed by ponds and a high central tower. The castle played a role in regional history through the 14th and 16th centuries. In 1337 it was pawned by Landgrave Heinrich II to the brothers Johann and Heinrich von Eisenbach, who expanded part of it. By 1576 Landgrave Ludwig IV had become sole owner, ending the noble family’s direct control. The castle suffered repeated damage during the Thirty Years War and later conflicts, serving as a billet for passing armies. Today only traces remain. The site shows foundations of a probable great hall and parts of the moat survive as a pond. Nearby stands the Herrnmühle, once the castle’s mill, now converted to holiday flats. A double coat of arms from the castle, showing Hesse and Württemberg, is preserved in the village church porch. The old farmyard buildings north of the site recall the castle’s working estate.