History

The story of Castle Schloss Michelfeld

The earliest traces take us back to Roman times. The first mention from 1390 tells of a Count Eberhard von Katzenellenbogen, who also had estates in Hirschhorn in the Neckar Valley.
In 1449 records speak of the owner as being Hans von Neuenstein, who bought the castle from his father-in-law and from whom it then passed to a certain Hans von Gemmingen.
The castle in its present location was built in 1522 by Orendel and Weyrich von Gemmingen, and was surrounded by a moat with a draw-bridge. The original stones for the chains of this bridge can still be seen inside the castle.
During the Thirty Years War the castle was totally destroyed (1634 – 1635).
It was Johann Reinhard von Gemmingen who rebuilt the present castle over a period of two years from 1665 on the ruins of its predecessor.
Ninety years later in 1758 – 1759 the first two floors, which were of half-timbered construction, were replaced by stone ones.

After 1858 the castle passed from the hands of the then owner, Ludwig von Gemmingen, to those of his three nephews. These three, namely Friedrich, August and Reinhard von Gemmingen, were chamberlains of the Austrian empire in Schönbrunn Palace, having the rank of major.
Schloss Michelfeld acquired its present form in 1873 under the owner of the day, August von Gemmingen. During this work, the present shape of the roof with a glass roof was built, along with a representative stone staircase inside the inner atrium. (‘From Schönbrunn with love’) – These changes cost what was then the huge sum of 23,413 guilders and 9 kreutzer. The architect was Theodor Armbruster from Offenburg.
The landowners lived in the castle until 1911, the last Baron von Gemmingen being August von Gemmingen who died in 1909.

During the First World War the house served as a field hospital, and in 1934 and 1935 it was accommodation for the Labour Service. After the Second World War it provided shelter for displaced persons and refugees.
In 1969 the township of Michelfeld acquired the castle. The town sold it in 1974 to the Schäfer family, who lived in it until 2005 after it had been totally renovated.
The Schäfers had to totally renovate Schloss Michelfeld for a second time after it was badly damaged by fire in 2005.
In 1986 they acquired the nearby "Hofgut Michelfeld" farmhouse and converted it into the "Schloss Michelfeld“ hotel-restaurant which has since become widely known.
Since 2010 the castle has contained 8 top-quality guest rooms, as well as the "Belle Etage" on the first floor. Now it stands ready to welcome discerning guests.