Sturmfedersches Schloss, Baroque castle and town hall in Dirmstein, Germany.
Sturmfedersches Schloss is a nine-axis, white-plastered baroque mansion in Dirmstein with two full storeys and a mansard storey under a hipped roof with seven dormers on each side. Its main façade faces east onto Schlossplatz, while a second entrance with a four-step sandstone stair opens west onto Marktstraße. A two-step red sandstone platform stair with two small round-basin fountains stands before the main façade.
The building traces its origins to the 13th century when it was constructed as a fortified courtyard. Major renovations in 1736 transformed it for the Sturmfeder noble family, establishing its present baroque character.
The gate's name refers to the Archangel Michael, whose gilded flaming sword tops the 1738 sculpture. Marsilius Franz Sturmfeder had the devil given the face of the mayor of the day, and a stone "Neidkopf" (envy head) above the right side portal mocked opponents who dug a trench to block his gate. The gate bears carved inscriptions alluding to unnamed enemies.
The building is located at Marktstraße 4 and can be viewed from the outside; interiors are administrative spaces not regularly open to the public. Visitors can explore the facade and surrounding architecture, particularly the Michelstor gate and preserved wall section on the southwestern side.
The Michelstor gate carries a gilded flaming sword held by Archangel Michael, shown defeating the devil, whose face is said to resemble the mayor of the time. Marsilius Franz Sturmfeder had the sculpture made in 1738 to mock his opponents. A stone "Neidkopf" above the right side portal was likewise meant to taunt rivals, not to ward off evil.
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