Castle Wasseralfingen

Schloss Wasseralfingen stands in the Aalener district of Wasseralfingen, in the Ostalbkreis of eastern Baden-Württemberg. Built in the late 16th century, it replaced a 14th-century water castle first recorded in 1337 when the Counts of Oettingen authorised Ulrich von Ahelfingen to construct it. After the Ahelfingen line died out in 1382, the estate was split between two families, the von Horns and the von Hacks. The von Horns kept the rear half while the front passed through several owners until the Ahelfingen family regained the whole site in 1479. The monastery of Ellwangen took possession after the last male Ahelfingen died in 1545 and used the buildings to establish an administrative district. In 1590 the monks demolished the old castle and, by 1593, completed a four-winged Renaissance palace around a central courtyard. Further alterations in 1729 gave the structure its present appearance. After Württemberg secularised the monastery’s lands, the palace briefly housed the district administrator for Aalen and later became the residence of the senior forester. In 1817 parts of the building were converted into workers’ flats for the nearby ironworks. Today the former palace serves as a school for children with speech disabilities. The four wings still enclose a rectangular courtyard, and the exterior keeps the simple Renaissance style of the late 16th century. Inside, classrooms occupy rooms that once held the monastery’s offices and the forester’s apartments. The building’s quiet position beside the old industrial quarter of Wasseralfingen offers a clear view of how a medieval fortress evolved into a modern educational centre.