Fürstenau Castle

Schloss Fürstenau is a moated castle on the Mümling in the district of Steinbach in Michelstadt in the Odenwald.

The castle was built in the 14th century by the Electorate of Mainz to protect the neighbouring monastery of Steinbach and the surrounding estates against the Electoral Palatinate. The incident is to be seen as a dispute between the archbishopric and the Palatinate as a result of the transfer of Lorsch Abbey to the Electorate of Mainz in 1232. The construction on feudal land of the Schenken von Erbach, who were fiefs of the Counts Palatine, led to complications, which were first resolved with the granting of a castle fief and later the pledge to Erbach. The earliest mention of the castle dates back to 1310. In 1317, Schenk Eberhard VI von Erbach is mentioned as a Burgmann of Mainz. After the castle was initially granted to Erbach as a fief of Mainz, the Schenken acquired Fürstenau in 1355, and finally in 1454. Until then, a Mainz bailiff had resided at the castle.

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