Here stand the remnants of what was once one of Nuremberg’s most magnificent estates. This is Ruine Schloss Oberbürg. Today, we explore its captivating history.
In the early modern era, Oberbürg was celebrated. It was a prime example of Nuremberg’s opulent residences. The story of Oberbürg begins much earlier. Originally, in Laufamholz along the Pegnitz River, stood a fortified Weiherhaus. It belonged to the Reich ministers of Laufamholz. Some believed this was Oberbürg’s predecessor. Others suggest this was the later Unterbürg.
Oberbürg itself emerged in the 15th century after a land division around 1407 or 1409. Hans Groland the Younger acquired the land. Previously, a Reichsliehenable Hofstatt stood here. It was burned down in 1449 during the First Margrave War. For many years, it lay in ruins. By 1487, a seat was mentioned. Nikolaus and Peter Groland agreed to sell their “building on the upper Bürglein near Lauffenholtz” only to Nuremberg citizens. The structure was likely a modest timber-framed building on a solid base.
Niklas Groland sold the renovated estate around 1539 to Hans Buchner. Buchner operated copper mines in Bohemia. In 1542, Buchner passed Oberbürg to Bonaventura von Furtenbach. He was a wealthy merchant known for his speculations. That year, Furtenbach secured Oberbürg’s status as a free property.
Around 1563, Dr. Georg Kanler expanded the castle complex. The main castle was secured by a moat and the Pegnitz arm. It consisted of four wings with round towers at the corners. The three-part farmyard was also protected by moats. It remains preserved today. Additional farm buildings and the castle garden lay south. They were outside the moat. However, they were protected by a wall with round towers and a gate.
Wolff Ehinger acquired half of Oberbürg in 1581 through legal action. The other half belonged to the Imperial City. In 1587, they also sold it to Wolff Ehinger. By 1592, the estate was back with the Kanler family. When the last Kanler of Oberbürg went bankrupt, the castle went to legal advisor Jakob Fetzer. He was involved in shady dealings and murdered in 1634 during a trip to Vienna.
Hans von Blansdorf acquired Oberbürg in 1636 as a retirement home. He was an advisor to Elector Johann Georg of Saxony. Blansdorf died the following year. He bequeathed the castle to the sons of Count Paul Khevenhüller. Amalie von Stubenberg settled here afterward. She held the castle as collateral.
The widow of the last Khevenhüller sold Oberbürg in 1684 to Otto Christian and Georg Ludwig Reichsgrafen von Zinzendorf. They allowed their mother to live on the property. However, in 1693, they sold it to their sister Margaretha Susanna. She married Matthias Julius Eberhard Graf von Polheim in 1694. The castle gained a baroque character. A magnificent garden was created. It featured elaborate embroidery, sculptures, and an orangery. The lively Countess von Polheim transformed Oberbürg into a social hub for nobility. Many illustrious guests visited.
In 1943, a bombing raid destroyed the castle. Only the farmyard was rebuilt. In the late 1950s, the castle estate was sold. It went to the city of Nuremberg’s energy and water supply company. The area was to be integrated into the drinking water protection zone. In 1966, most of the remaining castle ruins were demolished. Today, only sections of the defensive wall, gate systems, parts of the round towers, and farm buildings have been restored. The old well was moved to Nuremberg, in front of the Vestnertor of the castle. The surviving structures present a neglected sight marked by vandalism.
Consider the layers of history here. Oberbürg shifted from noble residence to social center. It faced destruction. Now it stands as a reminder of time’s passage.