Hammerstein Castle – Fighting for a marriage and a throne

Today you can enjoy the peaceful ruins of Hammerstein Castle. If you have managed to climb the steep path, you are rewarded with a fantastic view of the Rhine Valley.

The Hammerstein Controversy

In the Middle Ages it was not quite as peaceful here as this view might suggest. Hammerstein Castle is first mentioned in a marriage dispute, which became known as the Hammerstein controversy. Erkanbald, the archbishop of Mainz started it (more about him see St. John‘s Church). He annuled the marriage between Otto of Hammerstein and his wife Irmingard. His aim was to strengthen his own influence in the Rhine Region. Despite Irmingards attempts to save the marriage, the first Hammersstein dynasty ended. Because none of Otto’s and Irmingard’s children survived. Emperor Conrad II. took over their posessions. But Hammerstein Castle fell into disrepair. Conrad’s successor Henry IV. rebuilt it. And Hammerstein became an Imperial Castle. It was temporarily used to keep the Imperial Regalia safe.

The Castle as Hide-out

And it was a hide-out. Henry IV. escaped to Hammerstein Castle. He had fled from his own son who wanted to depose him. His son needed the Imperial Regalia to become king. They were the symbols of the ruler, and included the Crown, the Sword and the Cross. But this castle only briefly protected Henry IV.. His son tricked him into captivity on Schlossböckelheim Castle and held him to ransom. Henry IV. had to hand over the Imperial Regalia. Today father and son both lie in the crypt of Speyer Cathedral.