If you approach Tuttlingen from the west, two towers catch your eye. They belong to the ruins of a medieval fortress. The building on the densely forested Honberg rises above Tuttlingen as one of the landmarks. The ruin and the surrounding landscape protection area are now a popular recreational destination for residents and guests of the city.
The Honburg was built around 1470 by Count Eberhard Bart. It is considered the first modern fortress on the territory of Württemberg and the only new building from the 15th century and served as the seat of Württemberg's bailiffs. The fortress walls once housed a castle with a high gable roof, crenellated gables and round towers, the residence of the chief bailiff. Its primary function was to secure the southern border of Württemberg and the Danube crossing - which is why it repeatedly attracted the warring parties in the Thirty Years' War. The commander of the Württemberg Hohentwiel Fortress, Konrad Widerhold, finally destroyed the fortress in 1645.
After the peace agreement in 1648, the destroyed fortress was not rebuilt. The seat of the Württemberg chief bailiff was moved to Balingen, and the ruins were used as quarries. Stones from the castle were used, among other things, for the construction of the Ludwigstal iron and steel works and for building houses after the city fire of 1803.
It was only towards the end of the 19th century that the Tuttlingen Beautification Association, a forerunner of today's Heimat Forum, made the ruins accessible again and rebuilt the two tower remains as a crenellated and bonnet tower.
Incidentally, the pinnacle of the Honburg still has the spirit of the “Kischemämännles” - albeit only according to legend. The Jester Club Honberger wakes the “Kischemämännle” annually at the opening of the carnival season and picks it up from Honberg with numerous onlookers. During the warm season, the Honberg is also the venue for the annual Honberg Summer open-air festival.