Lindelbrunn
The castle has probably been constructed as a imperial fortification at the end of the 12 th century on a cliff near the community Vorderweidenthal. In the 13 th century it is mentioned for the first time in a legal document. Dieter of Lindelbrunn is the first known Ministeriale, who named himself after the imperial castle in approximately 1260.
After his death in 1274 his presumed brother Merkelin continued the lineage. His son, also named Merkelin, was of such a weak constitution that in 1274 King Rudolf of Habsburg granted Lindelbrunn as an imperial fief to the counts Emich IV and Fridrich III of Leiningen, on condition that the young Lindelbrunner would die before he reached his majority. When he died before 1317 the castle went to the Leiningers. In 1317/18 the property was split between the half-brothers Friedrich V. and Jofried. Jofried received all imperial fiefs except the castle Madenburg. Lindelbrunn remained the property of the new lineage Leiningen- Hardenburg for the following generation. Until the middle of the 14 th century nothing changed concerning its status as an imperial castle.
It remaines unexplained, however, why a few years later the counts of Zweibrücken were at the castle. They gave Count Palatine Ruprecht I. the entrance right of Lindelbrunn and other fortifications on the 5 th April in 1358.
With these events and a few disputes with the Raugrafen, the base for a hereditary fief was founded after the death of Count Jofried of Leiningen- Hardenburg in 1344, which lasted for the following centuries. This hereditary fiefdom soon replaced the existing status of imperial fiefdom.
In 1440 the castle became the scene of military events.
Count Emich of Leiningen had borrowed money from Heinrich Steinhausen, a noble citizen of Speyer and took him as a Gemeiner at the castle. As Heinrich Steinhausen had quarrels with the bishopric Speyer and the Kurpfalz, they tried to capture him. Joint forces besieged Lindelbrunn Castle for seven weeks.
Contrary to this conflict, which was settled without serious damages for the castle and its inhabitants thanks to the mediation of the counts of Leiningen, another conflict between 1448 and 1450 were more disastrous.
The Burggemeiner Heinrich Holzapfel was involved in a feud with the Speyer bishopric and the imperial city Landau, which ended with a first but unsuccessful siege by their troops. A second siege by the counts Friedrich of Zweibrücken-Bitche and Bernard of Leiningen followed. Their successful siege obviously caused only minor damages as repairs were quickly made.
During the Peasants’ War the so-called “Kleeburger Kolbenhaufe” captured Lindelbrunn Castle, plundered the property and razed it to the ground before they left. The former imperial castle was never rebuilt and has since remained a ruin.
