Burg Friedberg, Medieval castle in Friedberg, Germany

Burg Friedberg sits on a basalt plateau, surrounded by deep defensive moats and fortified walls that protect a central courtyard with multiple historical structures. The layout shows typical medieval defensive design with building elements from different periods.

Burg Friedberg was probably founded between 1171 and 1180 on the orders of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; the oldest surviving document naming it as "Wridburg" dates from 26 October 1216. In 1275 the town destroyed the castle, and King Rudolf I strengthened it by granting it the Jewish tax. From 1455 to 1535 the castle acquired shares of the imperial pledge over Friedberg, and in 1806 it was mediatised by the Grand Duchy of Hesse.

The castle's name appears as "Wridburg" in a document of 26 October 1216, the oldest surviving record of the site. The castle church, designed by Franz Ludwig Cancrin of Hanau and built from 1783 to 1808, has a compact cross-shaped plan with a relatively low tower and a Protestant interior. Near the residence stands the St. George's Fountain of 1738, whose baroque main figure was carved by the Mainz sculptor Burkhard Zamels; the figure seen today is a copy, the original being kept in the Wetterau Museum.

The northern approach from the town passed through six lines of defence with six gates, three of which survive; the southern entrance was reached only over a drawbridge across a deep moat. The Adolfsturm has two viewing platforms, at 31 and 42.5 metres, with information panels on the surrounding sites; Frankfurt is visible about 30 km away. The castle now holds the tax office, the Burggymnasium and a church, so some buildings are in institutional use.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the fortress operated as a kind of noble republic where multiple aristocratic families shared administrative duties. This unusual system of shared governance was rare for its time and shaped the place's character.