Saarburg Castle

Saarburg Castle is the ruin of a hilltop castle above the town of Saarburg in the Trier-Saarburg district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is one of the oldest hilltop castles in western Germany.

Presumably built in the 10th century, the castle is first mentioned in a document in 964. In that year, it was granted as a fief by the Archdiocese of Trier to Count Siegfried of Luxembourg. After the death of Siegfried's son Adelbero in 1046, the castle reverted to the Archdiocese of Trier.

Through the Counts of Luxembourg, the Lords of Reuland seem to have acquired rights to the castle. Based on these rights, the castle was occupied in 1300 by Arnold von Reuland. He only released the castle after Archbishop Balduin of Trier bought his rights in 1313. Since Johann of Luxembourg, also known as John of Bohemia or the Blind, simultaneously renounced all rights of the Counts of Luxembourg to the castle, Kurtrier has been the sole owner of the castle ever since. The Archbishops of Trier subsequently had the castle constantly expanded.

In 1431, Ulrich von Manderscheid attacked and destroyed the castle. Johann II of Baden rebuilt the castle and was consecrated Archbishop of Trier in the castle chapel in 1464.

In 1522, the castle was successfully defended against the troops of Franz von Sickingen, but 30 years later it was destroyed again by Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. Reconstruction took place at the end of the 16th century.

During the wars of conquest of Louis XIV, the castle was repeatedly occupied by the French and Spanish. In the War of the Spanish Succession, the castle was again conquered by the French in 1702 and only liberated in 1704 by the Prussian Legion "Schwerin". Since 1734 - hardly inhabited anymore - the decay of the complex began.