Wiesen Castle

Wiesen CastleAt first glance, Wiesen's traffic situation seems unfavorable, but two state roads cross here. In the late Middle Ages, around 1400, Wiesen was even at the junction of two important supra-regional traffic routes, on Birkenhainer Strasse and Eselsweg. In Wiesen, on the site of the current castle, there was a castle belonging to the Counts of Rieneck, who controlled both of these high-altitude traffic routes from here. The forests and valleys around Wiesen were then dominated by glass production and the glass trade.The current building of the castle was probably built next to the church in the late 16th century. The former Mainz castle and its outbuildings, together with the church, form a slightly elevated, picturesque group of buildings on the edge of the actual village center. The importance of the castle lies in its excellent location in the townscape and its special significance for local history as a bearer of tradition from the old story of the village's founding.During excavations in the castle, Gothic stove tiles were also discovered. They are called Tannenberg type tiles after Tannenberg Castle on the Bergstrasse. Tiles of this type were manufactured in Dieburg from the middle of the 14th century and traded along the Main as far as Holland. The fragments suggest that the lord of the castle in Wiesen - formerly from Rieneck - owned a stove around 1400, the equipment of which reveals a high standard of living. However, the good piece was not only intended to serve as optimal room heating, but above all to impress guests with the proud display of wealth.Source: Information board at the site