Ullstadt Castle

The Ullstadt Castle complex in Ullstadt, market town of Sugenheim in the district of Neustadt an der Aisch-Bad Windsheim, was built in the 18th century according to plans by Johann Dientzenhofer and is now owned by the Barons von und zu Frankenstein.

Johann Peter von Franckenstein acquired Ullstadt Castle from the financially distressed family of the Barons von Seckendorff. From 1718 to 1725, a new moated castle, the current main castle, was built on the site of the old castle according to plans by Johann Dientzenhofer. The builder was the widow Margarethe von Franckenstein, née von Eyb. Above the main castle's entrance door, the family crest of the von Frankensteins with the symbols of the von Cleen (three united shamrocks) and the von Sachsenhausen (a helmet), as well as the crest of the von Eyb family (three scallops), can be seen. The two side wings, built by the master builder and architect Johann Jakob Michael Küchel, date back to Margarethe von Franckenstein's sons, Johann Phillip Anton, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg, and Johann Philipp Ludwig Ignaz von Frankenstein, Canon of Würzburg, who established a summer residence here. Ferdinand Tietz, Bamberg court sculptor, created the sculptural decorations and figures.

The main castle still serves as the residence of the von Franckenstein family today. After passing through the entrance door, one enters the reception hall. The individual living rooms and the house chapel are arranged around an inner courtyard. On the upper floor are the blue hall, furnished with velvet wallpaper, the leather hall, and the mirror hall. All rooms are adorned with extensive wall and ceiling stucco, displaying family crests and stucco paintings. The side wings partly served as stables.

Of the six posts at the castle entrance, the inner ones bear a crowned lion holding a prince-bishop's coat of arms. These stood at the entrance of the Reuther Gate in Forchheim until the demolition of the fortress walls (1875). When the gate structures were removed, Baron von Franckenstein acquired the well-crafted sculptures for his castle in Ullstadt. The other posts bear trophy sculptures.