Hornberg castle just north of Heilbronn will forever be associated with the life and misdeeds of Gotz von Berlichingen, the rogue knight who once controlled this site. Von Berlichingen once served the Holy Roman Emperor but eventually struck out on his own, forming a group of mercenaries that he sold to the highest bidder. Eventually he raided the wrong people and brought down the wrathe of the Emperor. After confrontations with the Emperor and the leaders of such groups as the Schwabishe League, von Berlichingen lived out his life in peace and obscurity until his death in 1562 in the Hornberg. He is best known for the famous Goethe play that put words in von Berlichingen's mouth when he was placed under siege, essentially saying when called on to surrender, "you can kiss my a##!"
Photos taken in 2007.
Hornberg was started in the late 1000s, later owned by Count von Lauffen in the 1200s. By the 1300s, the castle was owned by a succession of bishops up to the mid-1400s, including the Bishop of Speyer and the Bishop of Ehrenberg. Gotz von Berlichingen owned the castle from 1517 until his death in 1562, and it was owned by one of his sons until 1612. Several other families owned the castle into the 1600s. Each of these expanded and enhanced the defenses of the castle. The castle managed to survive many of the wars but fell into decay when it was considered too expensive to maintain.
Above, a view of Hornberg looking north from the highway that follows the east side of the Neckar River.
Left, two other views of the castle, the first from the valley below, and the second as seen from the base of the main portion of the castle.
Below left, the north gate that leads into outer ward. From here, take an immediate right to the next gate seen below. This is the second gate that takes you into the outer ward.
Right, one of the corner towers. This tower once had a floor within and a set of steps, but these are no longer extant. Today the tower is a shell.
