Located in the northern part of Odenweld, Breuberg Castle is one of the best-preserved castles in Hesse and all of Germany despite being almost 1,000 years old.
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Made of deep red sandstone, the castle was built in the 12th century by the imperial abbey of Fulda to protect its Odenwald estates.
The abbot of the time engaged in political affairs with a powerful local family called Lützelbach to govern the territories under its jurisdiction in the area near Breuberg. The abbot also charged the family with building the castle, later the family began to call itself ”von Brubere”.
When the Brubere family fell from power, the castle became communally owned because its ownership was divided between several noble families.
During the following centuries, it was continuously expanded and fortified. Apart from its strong and defensive walls, the castle is famous for its detailed architectural elements. It reflects the change in the defensive and residential requirements over time in Europe so it is a clear representation of the European castle architecture from the 12th and 17th centuries. The compound has buildings with different architectural styles like Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance in it as well. It was damaged a lot during its long history but was never destroyed.
Several families gained sole ownership of the Breuberg castle in the following years. It was also used by the local people as a haven and garrison during the time of war. In World War II, it housed Polish and Russian women prisoners of war. Today, it is state-owned.
