Burg Hohneck (Heimburg)

It is considered an example of the historicist reconstruction of a castle ruin, triggered by the Rhine Romanticism. Starting in 1295, the Archbishop of Mainz, Gerhard II of Eppstein (1230-1305), began the construction of Heimburg at the confluence of the Heimbach into the Rhine. This was a reaction to the unlawful appropriation of the castles Sooneck and Reichenstein by the Palatine Counts in 1290. The roughly square-shaped castle still shows today a powerful shield wall towards the Rhine between two round towers. The southern one was expanded into a tall keep. After being destroyed in the Thirty Years' War, the castle fell into ruin. The enthusiasm of nobles and wealthy citizens for the charm of the castle ruins along the Rhine led to many changes of ownership and the reconstruction of Heimburg in the 19th century. Between 1866 and 1868, the ruin was restored on behalf of the estate owner Baron Otto von Wackerbarth (1823-1904), incorporating the medieval substance. Above the medieval cellar, the two-story 'Rheinflügel' was built in neo-Gothic architecture with battlements and corner turrets. Later, the castle came into the possession of Countess Charlotte von Mellin. From 1882, the wine merchant Eduard Rabeneck expanded the Rheinflügel and built the neo-Gothic 'Verwalterhaus' with battlements and a winter garden in the garden. In 1898, the castle came into the hands of the industrialist Robert Müser (1849-1927), who also acquired the mill and established a guesthouse there in 1910. In 1920, Nora Dunlop purchased the castle for 1 million marks. The transaction was handled by her brother-in-law and cousin Hugo Stinnes, who was also the owner and managing director of 'Hugo Stinnes GmbH'. At that time, he was probably the most significant German industrialist. Many citizens of the town found work at the castle during the inflation period through construction maintenance work. The Heimburg served the Stinnes family and their prominent guests as a representative residence for many years. Until 1965, the complex remained in family ownership. Currently, the site is not open to the public.