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The moat of Neu-Waldeck Castle on a rocky spur above Tegernau in the small Wiesental valley. Photo: Wolfgang Richter

Lecture by Stephan Maurer

The noble family of Waldeck played an important role in the settlement history of the Middle, Small and Upper Wiesental. Despite this importance, however, little is known about its members. The lecture will attempt to give an overview of the family's genealogy, their possessions, their family relationships and their heirs and successors on the basis of historical sources. Particular attention will be paid to the castles that can possibly be attributed to the Lords of Waldeck, including the ruins of Turmhölzle near Raitbach.

This lecture is organised in cooperation with the Stadtmuseum Schopfheim.

Location: Stadtmuseum Schopfheim, Wallstraße 10, 79650 Schopfheim

Literature reference: Stephan E. Maurer: Die Herren von Waldeck. In: Das Markgräflerland, Band 2013, S. 121–138 Digitalisat der UB Freiburg

Display case with reconstruction attempt on the Altenberg ruins, Photo: Wolfgang Richter

Guided tour with Reto Marti, cantonal archaeologist for Baselland

Like Turmhölzle ruins, the Altenberg ruins are among the earliest noble castles in the region and were also abandoned after a relatively short period of time. There are no written records of Altenberg. In the 1980s, the ruins were thoroughly examined by archaeologists. The rich finds provided a wealth of information about the castle and life there. After the excavation, the ruins were completely preserved.

Meeting point: Schopfheim, parking lot at the corner of Wiesenweg/Am Stadtgraben. There we will form carpools to drive to the parking lot below the ruins near Füllinsdorf (47.50615118688239, 7.742381294897432).

Please register by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that you can receive further information and we can estimate the number of participants.

Group of visitors with cantonal archaeologist R. Marti on October 11, 2025, at the Altenberg ruins/CH, Photo: Wolfgang Richter

Quelle: Website `Raitbach.de`

The Förderkreis Ruine Turmhölzle provides information about its work.

The market in Raitbach offers cheese, fruit and vegetables, bread and much more. There will be grilled sausages and cold drinks in the festival hall car park, Raitbach 33.

The southern palace wall, looking north. Photo: Wolfgang Richter.

Removal of vegetation on the ruins and reconstruction of the palace wall

On June 14, 2025, the support group is planning a work assignment at the ruins: removal of growing bushes and trees from the ruin walls and reconstruction of the crumbling southern palace wall, again as a dry stone wall as successfully carried out on the ring wall last autumn. This section of the palace wall is deteriorating more and more. In this area, for example, there is a narrow window to the first floor of the palas, which was still completely preserved after the 1981 excavation and has now almost completely disintegrated.

If you would like to take part in this work assignment, please register by June 6th, 2025 at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that we can plan for catering etc.

Addendum:

Palace wall on 21 June 2025: The stones are back in their old place in a dry stone wall. Photo: Turmhölzle e.V.

Club members on the castle plateau. Photo: J. Sitzmann

A start in preserving the ruins

A small section of the curtain wall of Turmhölzle Castle still remains. This was in danger of collapsing completely.

Several members of the support group took part in filling in the three wall excavations. The filling was carried out using the dry stone wall technique. This meant that the work was easy to carry out and is also reversible. This is important with regard to future renovation of the masonry.
The filling serves to stabilize the wall to prevent the threat of further collapse. In the case of the dry stone wall, the broken stones were often put back in their original position.

A beginning in the preservation of the ruins. 

The reconstructed wall. Moss and algae have disappeared from this part of the wall, as it had been covered with a tarpaulin since fall 2023. Photo: M. Gembe

  

Entrance to the city museum, Wallstraße, Photo: Stadtmuseum Schopfheim, Störk

Founding meeting at the city museum

The support group has founded a registered association with the same name. The founding meeting for the Förderkreis Ruine Turmhölzle e.V. took place on June 16, 2024 in the Schopfheim City Museum.

The Förderkreis Ruine Turmhölzle e.V. is recognized as a non-profit association (promotion of science and research as well as promotion of monument protection and preservation).

Anyone interested in becoming an active or passive member of the Förderkreis Ruine Turmhölzle e.V. is cordially invited to attend.