Bramburg Castle

The Bramburg is a castle ruin (approx. 11th century) belonging to Hann. Münden in the Bramwald in the southern Lower Saxony district of Göttingen in Germany.

The ruin of the hillside castle in the Münden Nature Park stands on the right bank of the Weser on the western slope of the Bramwald in the Upper Weser Valley. It is located in the district of Hemeln, which is nowadays a northern district of Hann. Münden. Slightly north of the former castle lies Glashütte, another small district of Hann. Münden. The Bramburg was built on the west-northwest flank of the heavily forested Hünenkopf (388.5 m above sea level) at an altitude of around 210 m and stands almost 100 m above the Weser valley and above state road 561 between Hemeln in the south and Glashütte in the north. On the opposite left bank of the Weser, west of Hemeln, lies the district of Veckerhagen, part of the municipality of Reinhardshagen, which belongs to North Hesse, on the eastern slope of the Reinhardswald.

The ruin of the Bramburg can only be reached from state road 561 via forest and hiking trails.

The origin of the Bramburg is shrouded in the mists of history. It is presumed that the castle complex has existed since the 11th century.

The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1063. In the first half of the 13th century, it was referred to as a protective castle to secure the Corvey territories. In the second half of this century, the castle with the surrounding lands belonged to the Welf dukes. In the following years, it became a fief of the Lords of Stockhausen, who later used the castle as a robber baron's nest. Therefore, the castle was partially destroyed in 1458 by the army of Landgrave Wilhelm of Thuringia. However, the castle complex remained in the possession of the Stockhausen family, whose successors still own it today. The castle, which most recently served only as a residence and official seat, fell into disrepair from about the mid-16th century and was already considered a ruin by the late 17th century.