The administrative castle built by the Abbey of Hersfeld

Burg Landeck is a ruin located at approximately 470 m on a spur of the Landecker Berg, northeast of the Oberlengsfeld district of Schenklengsfeld. Situated on the territory of Hilmes in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg in Hesse, the castle was built in 1234 by the Abbey of Hersfeld as an administrative castle, or Amtsburg.

By 1317, a Hersfeld official, an Amtmann, is mentioned in Landecke. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the administrative seat was frequently pledged, most recently to the Electorate of Mainz. The Abbey eventually redeemed the castle in 1454. Significant unrest occurred in and around Hersfeld during the German Peasants' War in 1525.

During the 1525 uprising, Landgrave Philipp von Hessen helped the Abbot suppress the rebellion. To cover his costs, the Landgrave annexed large parts of the Imperial Abbey, including the Landecker Amt. The castle was likely destroyed during the period of the Peasants' War. The remaining remains of the curtain wall were restored and reinforced in 1982.

In 1855, journalist August Spies was born in the ruins of the castle. He documented his birth in his handwritten autobiography. The ruins remain accessible on the Burgstraße in the village of Oberlengsfeld.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons