History
The first castle on this site most likely dates from the 12th Century. It is first mentioned in 1236 when Graf (Count) von Dillingen gave the castle to Neresheim Abbey. As a further evidence, in 1987 a cistern from this era was discovered under the south east wall of the castle.
The castle changed hands several times in the following centuries. It was owned by the von Hürnheim family from 1256–1368. Then the von Westerstetten family held the castle from 1368 until 1442. The hospital in Ulm and the von Westernach family held it from 1512 until 1538.
During the middle of the 16th Century, the castle was rebuilt as a Schloss (a fortified home rather than a pure defensive structure) by the von Leonrodt family that ruled from 1535 until 1637. In 1637 the von St. Vincent family took over the Schloss. Nearly a century later, in 1749, Johann Rupert von St. Vincent sold the feudal estate and castle to the Princely house of Thurn und Taxis. Until 1851 the castle was used by the princes' Chief Hunter and later as a princely rental property. In 1865 the community of Ballmertshofen received the Schloss, which was used as a school and town hall. Following the beginning of World War II, in 1940, the castle was used as a prisoner of war camp.
In 1959 the school was moved out of the castle to a newly built School. By the 1970s the last renter moved out of the building, leaving it empty. In 1968 the city offices were removed and the severely neglected building was used as a local art gallery. Starting in 1986, a series of renovations took place to clean up and improve the building. At one point the castle had an octagonal tower in the south east corner, but that has been removed
Read more about this topic: Ballmertshofen Castle
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