Hiking Highlight
Recommended by 546 out of 563 hikers
Location: Ebringen, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Hochschwarzwald, Freiburg District, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
The Schneeburg is the ruins of a summit castle at 516 m above sea level. NN high western secondary peak of the Schönberg in the district of Ehaben in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district in Baden-Württemberg. It lies between Uffhausen in today's Freiburg district of Sankt Georgen and Ehaben.
Based on the old name “Schnewesberg”, the castle's builders and namesake are believed to be the Schnewlins, one of the most respected and wealthy families in Freiburg in the 13th century. According to other reports, the castle was built by the Lords of Hornberg. It was first mentioned in 1312. In 1349, Werner von Hornberg handed it over to the fiefdom of the St. Gallen monastery, from which he received it back as a man's fief. This is how the small fiefdom of Ehaben came into being. It appears that Messrs. Schnewlin still had certain rights to it or derived income from it, because on June 7, 1387, a settlement was reached between Messrs. Schnewlin von Wiger and the Hornberg brothers Hanman, Ulrich, Werner and Brun over the Schneeburg and the village of Ehaben a contract concluded.
Due to Ulrich von Hornberg pledging the Schneeburg to his son-in-law Berchtold Schnewlin Berenlapp, it was returned to Mr. Schnewlin. Through a contract concluded on November 19, 1426, Konrad, the grandson of Ulrich von Hornberg, secured the right to release the snow castle from the pledge in return for a payment of 1,200 gold guilders. However, since he could not raise the money, he quickly married the pawn holder's daughter and, with the approval of the St. Gallen monastery, pledged her 2,500 guilders to the estate. Thus, the man's fiefdom was transformed into a “women's fiefdom”. In 1444 the Junker Konrat von Hornberg was enfeoffed by the monastery of St. Gallen with the Schneeburg fortress, the associated building yard and the bailiwick over Ehaben and Thalhausen. In 1448 the Junker Anthoni von Hornberg, probably his son, followed, against which Albrecht von Habsburg lodged a complaint on behalf of the Konrat von Hornberg to the abbot in St. Gallen.
The castle was probably abandoned and left to fall into disrepair before 1500, as the Falkenstein local authorities had acquired property in the town of Ehaben and taken up residence at that time. This first Ebring castle stood on the site of today's castle, which was built between 1711 and 1713.
March 3, 2020
The Schneeburg is a castle ruin at a height of 516 meters on the western foothills of the Schönberg. It is located between Uffhausen, Ehaben and the Freiburg district of St. Georgen.
Built in the 13th century by the Lords of Hornberg, the castle was handed over to the fiefdom of the Monastery of St. Gallen in 1349. In return, Werner von Hornberg received the rule of Ehaben. The castle was abandoned before 1500 and thus fell into disrepair.
The ruins in the Ehaben district consist of the remains of the keep and a residential building. Overall, it is only 37 meters long and approx. 17 meters wide. The complex is surrounded by a wide moat. The four-story keep with two windows is on the north side. The former residential building in the south of the complex is divided into two parts and a stone surround can be seen in the courtyard instead of the old well.
July 12, 2022
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