Dietrichstein Castle (Lützelsdorf)
The burgstall of Dietrichstein Castle, also called the Diederichstein Ruins (Ruine Diederichstein), is the site of an old, probably high mediaeval, aristocratic, castle, situated high above the valley of the River Trubach in the municipality of Pretzfeld in the Upper Franconian county of Forchheim in Bavaria, Germany. The burgstall is freely accessible at all times and is used today as a viewing point. Location The small, former hill castle is located within the Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park about 750 metres north-northeast of the village of Lützelsdorf. It stands at a height of about on the Diederichstein rocks whose sides drop vertically into the valley of the Trubach about eleven kilometres northeast of Forchheim. Close by, on the Kreuzberg, lies another burgstall or former castle site, the Schlüsselstein, probably founded by the Schlüsselbergs. Immediately west of Ebermannstadt is yet another, unnamed, burgstall, designed as a high motte. To the east lay the former castle of Wolkenstein, today a ruin with just a few surviving remains, and the fallen tower castle of Eberhardstein on a rock pinnacle. There is another castle site, Stadtmers Bürg, on the Hetzelfels rocks. A bit further away is the old castle site of Wichsenstein above the eponymous village of Wichsenstein, today an observation point with far-reaching views. History When exactly Dietrichstein Castle was built is not known; the only written record of it dates to the year 1355. At that time the castle probably no longer existed. One clue to the age of the little castle could be its name: Nuremberg Castle researcher, Hellmut Kunstmann, has established that castles in East Francia that combine a personal name with the word Stein ("rock") are usually very old. Examples include Pottenstein, which was founded around 1070, Gößweinstein, first mentioned in 1076 and Hiltpoltstein Castle which was built before 1100. Other examples are Egloffstein, Leupoldstein, Eberhardstein, Wichsenstein and Gernotenstein. The shape of the castle foundations also suggest it is old. Its almost circular site is separated on the northeastern side by a semi-circular moat from the somewhat lower-lying plateau. On the other sides, the castle was guarded by the steep rock faces. The castle could not have withstood an enemy armed with cannons attacking on a broad front from the plateau because they would have had a wide avenue of approach. Thus it was probably built in the second half of the 11th century before the invention of gunpowder. This is underlined by the discovery of pieces of pottery that date to the period between the 11th and early 13th centuries. The builder of the castle is also unknown. According to Kunstmann, he could have come from the family of the lords of Wiesenthau; the first member of this noble family is Bero of Wiesenthau who was named in 1128. The name Dietrich first surfaces in connection with this family in the year 1156. However, the lords of Dietrichstein from Carinthia could also have been responsible. They are mentioned several times as a Bamberg ministeriales family who were witnesses