Burg Berolzheim

Burg Berolzheim stood in Markt Berolzheim, a village in Mittelfranken, Bavaria. It was a medieval water castle built in 1320 by the lords of Berolzheim. The site lies south-east of the parish church of St Michael. Very little remains today, though the area is protected as an archaeological monument. The so-called Unteres Schloss, a later building, now occupies part of the old site. A second structure, the Oberes Schloss, once stood west of St Maria’s church and has also vanished except for a few ruins. The castle’s history is tied to raids by Hans Thomas von Absberg in the 16th century. His supporters, including the family of Embs, let him hide captives and flee to their strongholds. In 1523 the Swabian League sent 10,000 foot soldiers and 1,000 horsemen with 100 cannons and 30 arquebuses to destroy 23 ‘robber nests’. A famous woodcut by Hans Wandereisen shows the castle surrounded by a moat and towers, but records suggest it was spared through negotiation. Wolf von Pappenheim rebuilt it in 1575 after an earlier attack. Today the Unteres Schloss stands on the old foundations. A moat is no longer visible, yet street names recall the water-filled defences. Nearby lie the ruins of the Oberes Schloss and the Steinhaus am Goppelt, built on Roman remains. The village preserves traces of all three sites in its layout and names.