Schloss Neidstein is a castle located in the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany, in the municipality of Etzelwang.
It was the seat of a Hofmark (a lower legal entity) during the Palatinate-Sulzbach period (16th–18th centuries). The castle, with its 165 hectares of forest and meadows, is now part of the Schergenbuck reserve.Registration (registered 1973) (in German) Neidstein was the residence of the Brandt family since 1466. In 1979, the castle was inherited by the American administrative law judge Theodor P. Von Brand from his uncle Philipp Theodor Freiherr von Brand. After his death in 2004, the von Brand heirs sold the castle in 2006 to the actor Nicolas Cage. In 2009, Cage sold the castle to a lawyer in Amberg.Nicolas Cage Sells His Castle, People The castle was modernised and is now used as a venue for workshops and conferences by the Fraunhofer Society."Schloss Neidstein als Veranstaltungsort für Fraunhofer UMSICHT" press release of Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT August 31st 2015, retrieved April 17th 2017
Building The ruins of the original Schloss Neidstein are located on top of the peak above the New Castle.Burgen und Schlösser im Landkreis Amberg-Sulzbach — Detailseite (in German) The New Castle, an elongated tract with the east gate and a round tower in the west, was designed by Jobst Brand(t) and completed in 1513.Franz Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein: Castles in Bavaria. Munich, 3rd ed. 1984, pp. 199ff with fig. 193 (top view)
Today's appearance, especially that of the gables, is due to a renovation between 1855 and 1860. Several wall reliefs that show themes from the Old Testament were carved by Georg Schweiger (17th century) from Amberg.
Library and archives The castle's extensive archives date back to the 16th century, and have been available at the state archives in Amberg since 2006. A substantial part of the area housing the archives was supposedly used to accommodate horses of French troops passing through in 1796.Philipp Theodor Freiherr von Brand: "900 Jahre oberpfälzische Geschichte auf Burg und Schloß Neidstein", in: Oberpfälzer Heimat 9, s.l., 1964, p. 63
The whereabouts of the castle's library were unknown until an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (28 October 2006, p. 48) announced that a large amount of literature would be auctioned in Munich in November 2006.
References
External links
official website of Schloss Neidstein (in German) aerial photos of the castle