Burg Brattenstein, Medieval castle in Röttingen, Germany.
Burg Brattenstein is a high-medieval castle complex at the northeastern corner of Röttingen's town wall in the Tauber valley, in Bavaria's Würzburg district. Its walls were extended after the castle was taken in 1438, and in 1440 the complex, previously outside the settlement, was folded into the town fortification. A tithe barn was built in the southern corner around 1500; the keep at the northeastern corner was demolished between 1803 and the First World War.
Built probably in the 12th or 13th century, the castle was first documented in 1230 and held by the Lords of Hohenlohe until 1345, when they sold it to the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. In 1438 it was captured and its wall ring enlarged; in 1440 the castle, until then outside the town, was incorporated into Röttingen's town fortifications. From 1520 it housed a prince-bishop's bailiff, and around 1500 a tithe barn was built in the south corner.
The inner courtyard serves as a venue for the annual Franconian Festival, hosting theater performances within the medieval walls. Visitors experience contemporary shows staged against historic masonry, transforming the old castle into a living cultural space.
The castle stands at the northeastern corner of Röttingen's old town wall in the Tauber valley. The courtyard is the setting for the Frankenfestspiele each year, so check the festival programme before planning a visit. The east wing, rebuilt after the 1971 collapse, was inaugurated in June 2018.
The east wing collapsed on 5 November 1971 while a rubble-filled dog kennel against its outer wall was being dismantled, removing the wall's last structural support; four employees of the textile firm housed there died. The wing was rebuilt and restored in the following years, and a newly built east wing was inaugurated in June 2018 by the Heeresmusikkorps Veitshöchheim.
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