Madenburg in Eschbach

Welcome to Madenburg in Eschbach

We are on vacation from March 10 to March 16. The castle is completely closed. We will be back for you starting March 19.

On the top of the Rothenberg above Eschbach stands the Madenburg. With a length of 180 meters and a width of 50 meters, it is the largest castle complex in the Southern Palatinate and one of the largest castle complexes in the Palatinate.

The castle complex was probably built at the end of the 11th century as an imperial castle to protect the lands belonging to the complex and to control the Kaiserbach valley. It originates from a similar era as the nearby imperial castle Trifels. As "Parthenopolis" (Virgin Castle or Mary’s Castle) the castle was mentioned for the first time in 1076 in the "Bertholdi Annales". The castle was already presumably in the possession of the Diocese of Speyer at that time, whose patroness was Mary. Thus, it probably later acquired the name Madenburg, the "Castle of the Virgin Mary", which was first documented in 1176.

In the following centuries, the castle had various owners, such as the Leiningers, Sickingers, or Fleckensteiners, until it was finally purchased in 1516 by Bishop Georg of Speyer and Count Palatine on the Rhine along with the associated villages of Eschbach, Ranschbach, Arzheim, Waldhambach, and Waldrohrbach. From then on, the Madenburg became a bishop's secondary residence and administrative seat of the Madenburg district, alongside the "Kestenburg" (Hambach Castle).

During the Peasants' War in 1525, the Madenburg was plundered and burned down. In the following years, the castle was rebuilt and partially expanded under the Bishops of Speyer. In the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), the castle was captured in rapid succession and occupied by Spanish, Austrian, Swedish, and French troops until it was again transferred to the possession of the Bishop of Speyer in 1648.

In 1680, the French King Louis XIV claimed ownership of the estates of the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer, including the Madenburg. A French garrison was stationed at the castle. The troops were withdrawn in 1689, and the castle was blown up during the Palatinate War of Succession.

When French troops occupied the left bank of the Rhine and the present-day Palatinate during the French Revolutionary Wars in the 1790s, and it eventually became part of France, it also marked the end of the Madenburg district, with the castle becoming French national property and being auctioned off in 1800 to three citizens of Landau.

The castle changed hands frequently in the following years due to sales and auctions until, in 1826, 38 citizens of Eschbach acquired the Madenburg along with the castle hill.

After the Wars of Liberation and the Congress of Vienna (1815), the Palatinate had become part of the Kingdom of Bavaria and was governed by King Ludwig I since 1825. After the relationship between the Palatinate and Bavaria had become strained following the Hambach Festival in 1832, the citizens of Eschbach offered Crown Prince Maximilian the Madenburg as a gift of reconciliation and wedding gift in 1842. However, he declined and chose the Hambach Castle as his summer residence.

In the 1840s, the Madenburg became known beyond the region due to two special events: the "Eschbach Slip" in 1843 (see "Rutschbrunnen") and a rally in 1848 with the talented speaker and well-known delegate of the Frankfurt Paulskirche, Robert Blum.

In 1870, the Madenburg Association was finally founded, which in the following years was able to buy most of the forest and castle rights. The association has undertaken various restoration measures, including the reconstruction of the historic well wheel.

After extensive renovation work, the Madenburg today again conveys an impressive picture of its former splendor. A permanent exhibition at the castle shows the history of its development. One of the towers is accessible and offers not only a legendary view over the sea of vines and the Rhine plain but also over the Palatinate Forest and the Wasgau. The Madenburg tavern provides typical Palatinate dishes and drinks.

Access: on foot from Eschbach or halfway from the hiking parking lot Madenburg.

The Madenburg belongs to the cultural monuments of the place.

Source: DataHub Rheinland-Pfalz