Harfenburg was listed on my map as "Harpenburg," but the former name is correct. The castle all but vanished to history in the early 1400s, and was only discovered in the 1800s. For many years locals knew that a castle had once stood on the hills within the woods above Heddesbach. Finding it was another matter.
Harfenburg was the project of Bligger II von Steinarch, Lord of Harfenburg, who apparently took over a small fort in the current location and expanded it around 1200. At the time the view was unobstructed by the forest, offering an excellent overlook of the valley below and the important local trade road of Hirschhorn to Waldmichelbach. Bligger II died around 1210, while his son Bligger III died around 1228.
These photos date from 2010.
Harfenburg remained with the Bligger family until the 1300s, when it was purchased by the Elector Palatinate Rudolf I. The castle, along with the village of Heddesbach, were pawned to the Lords of Hirschhorn, and later disputes between these lords and the Elector Palatinate led to the latter besieging and destroying the castle in 1339-40. Despite being rebuilt, the castle began to sink into obscurity after 1388, with only vague references made in sources. By the 1600s it was already a ruin, apparently abandoned as being unnecessary and too costly to maintain. The Harfenburg family retained possession of the castle up until the early 1400s, having their last mention in the sources in 1424.
Above, a view of the mound on which the outer wall rested.
Above, an artist's rendition of Harfenburg as seen on the descriptive placard near the site.
To the right, a diagram on the placard at the site showing the layout of the castle. The two illustrations are matched so that one can superimpose the layout over the artist's rendition.
The coat of arms of the Harfenburg family, being a red shield with a white harp inserted, were later adopted by the town of Heddesbach as their town symbol. While adopted in 1911, it was not formally used until the 1950s. The coat of arms commemorates the status of Bligger II as a troubadour, who also has a connection to the Nibelungenlied legends.
Left, a view to what was possible the base for the keep. A moat, seen to the left, circled the area of the keep, providing the last line of defense.
Above, there appears to be little indication that any of the walls are truly extant. However, one can find pieces of these walls, the stone used to replace the wooden palisade of old when the castle was rebuilt after being destroyed in 1340.
Left, an interesting relic nearby is a boundary marker for Prussia dated back to 1797.
