User:OberMegaTrans/WS2016Burgzusammengesetzt

Several decades later, the city of Weinsberg tried to compensate for the loss of meaning which occurred due to the disbanding of the Oberamtes Weinsberg in 1926 through new functions in the Nazi state. Thus, 1934 the plan to make Weinsberg the “Capital of the German Faithful Women” was pursued. Such an attempt was then shut down by Joseph Goebbels. Similarly unsuccessful was the attempt to establish a place of education of the National Socialist Women's League at the castle in 1936 in order to raise it to “the Valhalla of German women.” This attempt was tried to be reiterated for the 800st anniversary of the “faithful women event”, but canceled by the start of the second world war in 1939.

Since 1957, the Justinus-Kerner- and the Women's Association ordered extensive renovations of the walls, during which the wooden porter's lodge was built and the northern rampart restored. From 1959 to 1961, excavations were done which provided great parts of the current knowledge about the castle complex. Archeological finds from these excavations are being exhibited in the castle chapel. After the excavations had stopped due to lack of funding, they were resumed from 1962 to 1963 in order to restore the pathways as well as plant bushes and trees. Restoration work is still necessary time and time again today.

In may 2007, the castle ruin Weibertreu was proclaimed monument of the month by the Baden-Württemberg Monument Foundation.

Castle Grounds

The castle can be accessed from the south via a pathway that leads from the parking lot through the vineyards. There is also the original and very steep access path (Faithful-Women-Path) which theoretically provides access to the castle but is closed for delivery vehicles since there are no parking possibilities at the castle.

There is not much left of the original castle grounds. The rampart still exists (or has been rebuilt in some parts), as well as the south-eastern tower of the main building (round, octagonal on top) that can be climbed. Of its south-western counterpart only some pieces are left that have been found during excavations in 1959. There is not much left of the main building (Palas) except for two towers connected by a low wall. North of that wall is a little quarry that was used after the destruction of the castle. Excavations also found a big and flat cistern south of the main building in 1961.

A part of the defensive corridor still exists at the western rampart. There are only pieces left of the keep and the two gate towers. In the south-western part of the grounds is a so called chapel that was built 1824 and is not an actual chapel but an exhibition or storage room. Since 2005 it has been housing a little museum that presents finds and photographs of the 1959/61 excavations.

Nature Preserve

17.3 hectares around the castle are a nature preserve with the purpose to preserve the characteristic landscape of the castle hill with the castle ruins as well as protecting the hill from being built on and other strains on the landscape.