Friedelsheim Castle

Friedelsheim Castle was a rectangular lowland castle in the present-day municipality of Friedelsheim in the district of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Due to the still existing building fabric, it is assumed that the castle was already built in the 13th or 14th century by the Lords of Bolanden. However, the first documented mention of the castle was not until 1418, when it was in the possession of Johann von Derne. In 1433, a Palatine official was appointed to the castle. In 1462, Count Palatine Friedrich I sold the castle to the new owner, the Limburger Abbot Heinrich Ulner von Dieburg. From 1575, Count Palatine Johann Casimir had the castle extensively rebuilt and expanded. He erected a new Renaissance castle.

During the Thirty Years' War, Spanish troops conquered the castle in 1632, followed shortly after by Swedish troops. The castle was severely damaged by fires during this time. It was almost completely destroyed in 1689 by French troops during the Palatine War of Succession.

In 1698, Franz Melchior von Wiser (1651–1702) was enfeoffed with Friedelsheim. After his son Franz Joseph von Wiser (1679–1755) had erected a baroque successor building on the foundations of the burned-down castle, the inheritance of the Counts of Wiser was divided in 1708/09, with Friedelsheim Castle coming into the possession of the Wiser-Siegelsbach line founded by Franz Joseph.

The castle was burned down in 1794 during the First Coalition War.

Today, only a few wall remains and the keep, which was restored in 1987, are visible from the former medieval castle. Of the castles, only portals, wall remains, and parts of the wide moat remain.

A Mennonite church is also located in the castle area. It was built between 1836 and 1838. In 2004, extensive renovation and conversion took place. A residential building in the castle area now serves as the parsonage for the Mennonite community.