Hausen Castle

Hausen Castle, also known as Hausen Ruin, is the ruin of a castle above the village of Hausen im Tal, a district of Beuron in the Sigmaringen district of Baden-Württemberg.

The freely accessible castle ruin of the former spur castle of the Lords of Hausen is located north of the village, spectacularly high up on a rock in the Danube Valley. The difference in height between the castle and the Danube level is almost 200 meters (castle approx. 792 meters above sea level, Danube Valley 593 meters above sea level). At a dizzying height, the gable wall of the ruin is a striking landmark of Hausen im Tal in the Upper Danube Nature Park. In the village of Hausen im Tal is the Church of St. Nicholas with epitaphs of the Lords of Hausen. Until Sixt von Hausen († 1549), the castle was the stately seat of the eponymous Lordship of Hausen.

Hausen Castle was built as a castle in the 11th century. In 1094, it is first mentioned as being in the possession of the noble family of Hausen. In 1209, Ramsberger called themselves Knights of Hausen after the castle. Under them, the castle was expanded. Further alterations and extensions took place in the 14th and 15th centuries. From 1648 onwards, there were several changes of ownership. In 1813, the castle was demolished.

In 2007, a renovation of the gable wall was urgently needed. As this only remaining wall of the castle threatened to collapse, the ruin was extensively renovated for 50,000 Euros by the "Ruinenschutz Oberes Donautal" (Upper Danube Valley Ruin Protection) initiative. The scaffolding at the abyss and the masonry work posed a challenge for all involved.

It was named "Monument of the Month February 2008" by the Denkmalstiftung Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Monument Foundation).