The Castle of Hirschberg
in Beilngries / Hirschberg in the national park Altmuehl valley
The castle af the barons (1170 - 1305)
The histary of the castle begins when Frederic Barbarossa was Emperor (1152-1190). On the extended hill in the west af Beilngries, the counts of Goerling and Dolinstein built a wide stronghold, the largest in the Altmuehl valley. The counts were bailiffs and protectors of Eichstaett. Their stronghold, 650 feet lang and 150 feet wide, was surrounded by a high wall with two towers in the west. At the outermost side there were the private rooms of the counts and the chapel. In the middle there were the rooms of the knights and servants. In the west there were the two towers and a very strong wall.
Large parts of the castle of the barons have been preserved: the towers with drawbridge and portcullis, the enclosing wall, the chapel.
When the family of the counts af Hirschberg died out, the bishops of Eichstaett 
were heirs to the county.
The castle of the bishops (1305 - 1760)
The new lords of the manor had their residency in the once private rooms af the counts. Bishop Frederic had the northern tower built higher, and he built a four-storeyed hause for the guardian af the castle. Bishop Albert ordered ta build outer works of the castle in the west of the maat. Bishop Martin ordered to build the northern wing.
The whole castle was set an fire by lightning in 1636; only the towers, the house af the guardian, and the chapel were spared. lt was not before 1670 that, in the afterrnath of the Thirty Years´ War, the bishaps could afford reconstruction work. Bishop Franz Ludwig enlarged the northern wing.
The racaco palace (built in 1760 - 1764)
Bishop Raymund Antony wanted ta remodel the whole castle in the rococa style. His architect soon began to draw plans, and some years later construction began. Parts of the old castle were pulled down. The wall betwen the towers was broken down and stately doors were erected. Then there was the symmetrical courtyard of honour, about 300 feet long. Homogenous facades were built, and all the rooms were given rich stucco decoration. lt was now a princely rococo palace.
In 1805, when all ecclesiastical princes and all abheys in Central Europe were bereaved of all sovereign power and of all property as recompense for the territories lost to the French Republic, Eichstaett and the palace of Hirschberg were given to Bavaria.
In 1860 Bishop George von Oettl bought the castle and installed a seminary for priests. Today, after thorough modernization, lt is a house for devotional exercise. Sight-seeing tours are possible by special appointment only.
Exerzitien- und Bildungshaus Schloß Hirschberg
Postfach 1108
92335 Beilngries
Tel: 08461/7277
Fax: 08461/642114
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Zuletzt aktualisiert am 10.02.2017