Castle ruins Wachtenburg | Burgruine Wachtenburg

The castle was built in the 12th century - probably on the orders of Konrad von Hohenstaufen - its first documentary mention comes from 1257. In 1273 Rudolf von Habsburg bought it as a dowry for his daughter. Her son, Count Palatine Rudolf I, gave it to Count Emich IV of Leiningen-Landeck in 1277 as an after-fief.

In the war of 1375 between Count von Leiningen and the cities of Mainz, Worms and Speyer, the castle and the town of Wachenheim were seriously damaged. The renovated castle went to the Count Palatine von Zweibrücken-Veldenz in 1410. Anna von Veldenz, wife of Duke Stefan von Pfalz-Simmern-Zweibrücken, died here in 1439. [2] In 1470 the Wachtenburg was destroyed in the course of the seizure of ownership by Elector Friedrich I and later only partially rebuilt. At that time, the Palatinate gunner Martin Merz was in charge of the bombardment.

During the Palatinate War of Succession, French troops under General Melac blew up the keep in 1689, but half remained standing. The castle, which is no longer habitable, was inherited in 1718 by the Electoral Palatinate Minister Johann Ferdinand von Sickingen (1664–1719), [3] whose descendants sold it in 1796 to the Philipp Kunz'schen heirs in Wachenheim.

In 1864 Ludwig Heim from Wachenheim bought the castle ruins and their properties for 8,000 guilders. He carried out excavations, terraced the site and applied in vain for a grant for the renovation of the Wachtenburg. In 1878 it was auctioned off to a citizen of Worms, from whom Albert Bürklin bought it in 1883. His heirs donated them to the city of Wachenheim in 1984. A newly founded support group leased the ruins and has been carrying out renovation measures since then.