Burg Wolfsölden

Burg Wolfsölden stands on a spur above the Buchenbach stream near Affalterbacher Ortsteil Wolfsölden in Baden-Württemberg. It was built by the Hessonen high nobility around 1100 as a fortified house. The counts of Löwenstein later held the castle until it passed to Württemberg. A small hamlet named after the castle still exists beside the ruins. The castle’s early importance is shown by its first mention in the Hirsauer Codex between 1100 and 1130. Members of the Hessonen family took the name von Wolfsölden while they used the site, possibly as a high court seat. After the Hessonen, the castle was enlarged in the late 12th century, then changed hands through the counts of Calw, the bishop of Würzburg, King Rudolf of Habsburg and Albrecht of Schenkenberg. Partial destruction in 1286 and 1312 may link to conflicts between Count Eberhard the Illustrious of Württemberg and the Habsburg kings. Today a few wall remains and part of a corner tower survive on private land. Archaeologists recorded the site in 2005 before sealing it again beneath a modern house. The castle’s stone was later taken for building until the 18th century. Visitors see grassy mounds and a low stone outline where the tower once stood, with views across the valley to Affalterbach.