Aerial view of Stettenfels Castle near the town Untergruppenbach in Germany surrounded by vine-yards.
Stettenfels Castle near the town Untergruppenbach in Germany has a long and moving history. It was build in 11th century and had through the time several owners. One of the most famous was Anton Fugger, a nephew of Jacob the Rich in 1551, belonging to the richest family of the time. 1594 it burned down and has been rebuild in Renaissance style. In 18th century the Fugger family changed it into a Capuchin hospice, then it was acquired in 1829 by the municipality of Gruppenbach. In the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries the castle was repeatedly renovated. Until 1888 the site was home to the state forestry office. In 1924, Siegfried Levy, from Kornwestheim, who with his family owned the company Salamander Shoes, acquired the facility in which he established a stud farm, but he has been forced by the Nazis to „donate“ the castle to Germany in 1937. The Jewish owners fled to South Africa. The Nazis started to rebuild it to an „Ordensburg“ for the Nazi party. The war ended before the reconstruction could be completed. After period of American asset management the castle was returned through a restitution process to the Levi family. The castle was later sold to an Architect. The castle is now open to the public. Community concerts and theatre events are held at the castle. The private owners rent out the rooms of the castle for events such as receptions, and there is a permanent beer garden in the castle grounds. The grounds are used for a variety of agriculture, including vineyards, and a stud farm. Every year since 2005 the castle has hosted a medieval festival with jousting tournaments, jugglers, music and artisans. Since 2007 the festival has been held on May 1 and the subsequent weekend, and now has hundreds of contributors and thousands of visitors.
Size: 7240px × 4829px
Location: Untergruppenbach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Photo credit: © Johannes Oehl / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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