Hohensolms Castle

Hohensolms Castle - also known as Neu-Hohensolms, is located on the "Ramsberg" at an elevation of approximately 440 m above sea level in the eponymous district of the municipality of Hohenahr in the Lahn-Dill district in Hesse.

The hill castle was built around 1350 by the Counts of Solms. It replaced the Alt-Hohensolms Castle, which was destroyed in 1349 by the Imperial City of Wetzlar and was located about 2 kilometers further south.

During conflicts with the Imperial City of Wetzlar, the castle was partially destroyed in 1356 and 1363.

With the death of Count Johann III of Solms – Burgsolms (1405 – 1415), this line of the Counts of Solms died out. The castle and lordship passed to Count Bernhard II of Solms-Braunfels (1409 – 1459).

Through a renewed division in 1420, the castle and lordship passed to the Lords of Solms – Lich. Count Reinhard I of Solms – Lich (1544 – 1562) had the castle expanded into a palatial residence around the middle of the 16th century.

In 1579, the Counts of Solms – Lich divided into the lines Lich, Hohensolms, and Butzbach. The complex became the residence of the Counts of Solms – Hohensolms. With the extinction of the Solms – Hohensolms line in 1600, the complex passed in equal parts to Solms – Lich and Solms – Butzbach.

During the Thirty Years' War, the complex was destroyed and only partially rebuilt. While the Counts of Solms – Butzbach restored their part, the Counts of Solms – Lich allowed their part to fall into disrepair.

The complex served as a residence until 1718. In that year, Count Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms – Hohensolms (1707 – 1744) moved his residence to Lich to take over the inheritance of the deceased Count Hermann Adolf Moritz of Solms – Lich (1650 – 1718). This led to the formation of the Solms-Hohensolms-Lich line. Subsequently, the complex was only irregularly used as a widow's residence or summer residence.

From 1924 until its dissolution in 1936, the Christdeutsche Jugend (Christian German Youth) took over the complex as a federal home. From 1943 – 1946, refugees were housed in the buildings. Since 1952, the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau has maintained various facilities – predominantly for youth work – in the complex (even though, curiously, the castle is located in the territory of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland).