Stein Castle

Burg Stein is located in Northwest Thuringia above the village of Lengenfeld unterm Stein in the Unstrut-Hainich district.

The hilltop castle Burg Stein is first mentioned by this name in documents in 1409. Previously, only the name "Stein" appeared, which also occurs with other castles in West Thuringia (Schloss Altenstein) and therefore cannot be easily assigned to Bischofstein. However, it is probable that a Tuto de Lapide already lived on the rock above Lengenfeld in 1234. Archbishop Gerhard I of Mainz transferred the castle to the nobleman Gottschalk von Plesse, who, however, had to sell it to Duke Albrecht (the Long) of Braunschweig in 1282. Around 1300, the castle came into the possession of the Lords of Hardenberg, from whom Archbishop Matthias von Buchegg bought it back in 1326. On this occasion, the oppidum (small town, castle town) is also mentioned, the remains of which have been preserved as a deserted town below the castle in the terrain. In the 16th century, the castle complex fell into disrepair. In the 18th century, the present Schloss Bischofstein was built from the remains of the Burg Stein ruins. The village of Lengenfeld unterm Stein takes its name from Burg Stein. A nearby rock outcrop also bears the name "Stein".