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The Castle of Sonnenberg

History:

1220 The donion was built by the Brothers Count Ruprecht IV an Count Heinrich II of Nassau on the land of Mainz to protect their territory in Wiesbaden against the Counts of Eppstein.

1221 The castle was documentarily for the first time. The Residents of Nassau udd it from the chapter of the cathedral in Mainz. The castle of the brothers ( Brüderburg) with the uppermost circular wall is built.

1242 The imperial town of Wiesbaden is destroyed by the archbishop Siegfried III of Eppstein probably together with the castle of Sonnneberg.

1255 The property of Nassau is divided by the sons of Heinrich I, Otto I and Walram II . The castle of Sonnenberg comes to Walram .

1274 Adolf succeeds his father Walram.

1283 Th conflict with the citizens of Eppstein is settled.

1292 Adolf of Nassau is elected King of Germany. In the following time the castle is being enlarged. The Palas ande the Wall are built.

1298 Adolf falls in trhe battle of Göllheim against his adversary Albrech of Habsburg.

1304 Count Gerlach of Nassau takes over the rule of the house of Walram.

1318 Wiesbaden is besiegged in vain and the neighbourhood is looted by Ludwig, King of Bavaria probably together with te castle of Sonnenberg.

1320 Gerlach becomes reconciled with Ludwig. The castle is repaired and the last enlargement of the castle is started.

1346 Gerlach conveyes the rule (Apart from Sonnenberg) to the sons of his first marriage , Adolf I and Johann I. He retreats to Sonnenberg together with his secound wife.

1351 The settlement that has emerged down in the valley in the course of time is given the status of a town by the emperroiKarl IV.

1361 Count Ruprecht the secound son of Gerlach from his secound marriage to Irmgard takes over the rule of Sonnenberg alongside with the villages Auringen and Kloppenheim. Under his rule the „ lower „ castle and the town wall is completed.

1384 Ruprecht donates an eternal mass in the tower of the chapel.

1390 Ruprecht dies childlessly. The rule of Sonnenberg goes back to the line of Walram; this in the meanwhile splitted up and formed the two lines of Nassau-Idstein and Nassau- Weilburg.

1404 The castle is divided between Adolf II of Nassau- Eppstein and Philipp II of Nassau- Weilburg. It becomes neglected

1554 Philipp the ower of Nassau-Idstein takes over the rule of Wiesbaden and gets settled in the castle of Sonnenberg that has reached its last heyday.

1566 Philipp dies childlessly. Again the castle gets delapidated and is used as a stonpit until 1816.

1826 The limited company of the Kurhaus takes over the responsibility that popular place for excursions. A restaurand, a temple for the outlook and a sitting room inside the tower are built. The facilities are designed much like the public garden without regard to the existing parts of the wall.

1873 The town of Wiesbaden becomes the tower of the castle and undertakes further alterations.

1952 After the war-damages have been remaved the castle is repoened.

Impressum : Thorsten Reiß

More information from this history .

Heimatverein Sonnenberg, Talstr. 17, 65183 Wiesbaden- Sonnenberg www.Heimatverein-Sonnenberg.de or www.Thorsten Reiß Verlag.