Burgschloss Schorndorf, Renaissance fortress in Schorndorf, Germany

Burgschloss Schorndorf is a four-winged Renaissance fortress with a trapezoidal plan and massive round corner towers, built from 1538 under Duke Ulrich. Its small rectangular courtyard is half-timbered, and the towers and both courtyard entrances carry inscriptions and elaborate coats of arms; a cast oriel sits above the main portal.

Duke Ulrich had the Burgschloss built from 1538, probably on the site of an older water castle, as one of the duchy's state fortresses alongside Hohenneuffen, Hohenurach, Hohenasperg and Hohentwiel. It survived the 1634 fire that destroyed almost the whole town. In 1801–1804 it briefly served as a barracks; around 1834 a prison and officials' flats were installed, and the moat was filled from 1837 until it was dug out again in 1976.

The name "Burgschloss" likely comes from the princely chambers the building held alongside its permanent garrison. Visitors can spot the inscriptions and richly worked coats of arms on the towers and above the two entrances to the courtyard, plus a cast oriel above the main portal.

The building now serves as the district court, so visitors cannot enter the interior spaces. However, the exterior facade and courtyard walls remain visible year-round, providing a good view of the overall structure.

The 1730 fortification plan of Schorndorf omits the Burgschloss entirely, which former city museum director Wolfgang Morlok cites as evidence that the building was not originally part of the town's defences. Edeltraud Geiger instead argues it began as a citadel whose outer walls had only loopholes.