Here stands Burgstall Kressenstein a silent witness to centuries of history. This spot in Nuremberg offers more than just a view. Burgstall Kressenstein reveals echoes of a noble past.
Burgstall Kressenstein was once an aristocratic seat. Imagine knights and nobles once strode where we now stand. The Kressenstein name evokes images of power and prestige. The Kress von Kressenstein family was first documented in 1270. They were one of Nuremberg’s oldest patrician families. From 1418 they held a seat on the Inner Council. They were part of Nuremberg’s ruling class until 1806.
The Kress family’s story began with Heroldus Krezze in 1270. Friedrich Kress owned a farm in Kraftshof around 1300. He leased it from the Lords of Berg. In 1315 he founded the Kraftshof fortified church of Sankt Georgen.
In 1403 the brothers Konrad and Ulrich Kress acquired the Steinhaus in Kraftshof. Ulrich Kress’s Salbuch of 1410 first called it Kressenstein. During the First Margrave War in 1449 the manor was destroyed.
Hieronymus Kress rebuilt a small summer house on the remains. Around 1457 he built a new moated manor house next to it. Georg and Christoph Kress were granted a privilege by Emperor Charles V in 1530. They could call the new seat Kressenstein. They also had free rights of disposal and inheritance. Christoph Kress could independently manage the estates. He turned them into a trust. The eldest Kress always managed it.
During the Thirty Years’ War in 1634 the new Kressenstein moated castle burned down. In 1712 Georg Adolf Kress built a representative baroque manor house. It stood on the site of the former farm buildings. This manor house was destroyed in the Second World War. The summer house still stands. Until 1934 it housed the Kress family archive. The family still owns land in Kraftshof today.
The Kress family acquired a court in Neunhof in the mid-14th century. Hans Kress built Neunhof Castle around 1479. It replaced an older court destroyed in 1449. The family owned it until 1503. Through marriage in 1615 the Kress family regained Neunhof. They owned it until 1856.
The Kress family was accepted into Nuremberg’s ranks of ruling families in 1349. They were part of the Inner Council from 1418. The family became wealthy through long-distance trade. Around 1370 the Kress-Rummel company traded oxen. They transported goods between Venice Milan and Krakow. Around 1390 they obtained silver from the Carpathian region. It was for the Venetian mint. The Kress family had connections to Flemish cloth centers. They had ties to northwest German economic areas. They also conducted financial transactions. The Kress family and the Paumgartner family owned a trading chamber in Venice. It was in the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. The Kress trading company dissolved in 1430. Some family members continued in trade and finance. Between 1499 and 1511 the Kress family participated in a new Nuremberg-Milan company. It was the Kress-Köler-Saronno company. Emperor Charles V granted them the noble title von Kressenstein in 1530.
Today Burgstall Kressenstein stands as a destination for hikers and nature lovers. History buffs find it fascinating. It offers a glimpse into bygone eras. Burgstall Kressenstein is a popular photo spot. Tourists and locals alike love it. As we leave Burgstall Kressenstein remember the layers of history beneath our feet.