Lower Castle Schmidmühlen

Hardly any other castle in the Upper Palatinate can have experienced such ups and downs in its history as the Hammerschloss in Schmidmühlen. Once a mighty central building with imposing outbuildings, it experienced a slow decline after a 400-year heyday. In its long history, the castle also served as a poorhouse, prison, alternative school, Latin school, and even as a warehouse for agricultural products. Eventually, the castle was nothing more than a ruin.

Inseparably linked with the Hammerschloss is also the heyday of the market: a small industrial and commercial center developed on the current estate of the Hammerschloss already in the Middle Ages. There was even its own small workers' settlement. Important trade routes crossed in Schmidmühlen; there was an important Vils harbor at the confluence of the Vils and Lauterach, to which even merchants from Nuremberg delivered their goods for onward transport. In 1326, the iron hammer in Schmidmühlen was first mentioned in a document. It is considered certain that a larger building already stood on the site of the current castle around 1400. How did it come about that this castle was built at all? It was the time of the dark Middle Ages, with knights and raids. During this time, the sole rule of land ownership and thus of the nobility was broken. Now, money ruled first and foremost. Citizens, craftsmen, and merchants increasingly dominated the "economy." The impoverished nobleman in the castle or manor house looked with resentment and envy at the growing prosperity of the despised bourgeoisie. Imposing castle emerged The smartest and most daring of the nobility sought a worthy profession, such as the "noble trade" of the hammer smith. And so it happened that Schmidmühlen received a second noble residence (besides the Upper Castle) with the Hammerherrenschloss. The nobles of that time became master hammer smiths and hammer lords. And every hammer lord built a castle on his estate. In 1326, the hammer in Schmidmühlen paid three times the amount of the smaller hammers. It was therefore an older and quite large work. This economic upswing was naturally also reflected in the design of the hammer lord's seat. Such a large operation needed a representative building. Accommodations for the servants, machine halls, storage facilities, and an administration building were necessary. Thus, over the centuries, this imposing castle, including its own quarter, was built. The complex even had its own chapel, dedicated to Saint Leonhard. Where there is an upswing and a heyday, there is also a decline. Around 1800, the heyday of the hammer estate gradually came to an end. The castle visibly decayed, and its use hardly seemed profitable anymore. In the 70s, the last residents moved out, and in 1978, the castle was uninhabited.

Finally, in the 90s, the market council again took the initiative to preserve the castle. The goal was to turn the dilapidated castle into a parish and community center with the parish. The project ultimately became a politically hot potato. Nevertheless, the project was carried out and completed. After completion, the market also faces a major task: to create a usage concept.