Neuberg Castle

Neuberg Castle is located near the village of Podhradí in the Czech Republic and was established by the noble Neuberg (Neipperg) family. Its origins date back to the transition from the 12th to the 13th century, marking it as part of the medieval European feudal landscape. The first surviving written record mentioning the castle appears in 1288, involving Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg, who temporarily transferred the property to the Lords of Plavna before restoring it to the Neuberg family.

Throughout its early history, Neuberg Castle held a strategic position close to important trade routes leading towards Saxony. The Neuberg family used this advantage, sometimes engaging in raids that disturbed regional security. These attacks provoked retaliation from King Charles IV, who caused damage to the castle during his reign. Despite this, the castle was repaired and continued to be a center of regional conflict and power struggles.

In 1327, facing the political realities of the period, the Neuberg family formally conveyed their hereditary (allodial) lands to King John of Bohemia and received them back as a fief, which formalized their feudal obligations. Ownership of Neuberg passed into the hands of the von Zedtwitz family in 1392 through a combination of marriage and purchase. The von Zedtwitz line then governed the surrounding Aš region from Neuberg Castle for over two centuries.

By 1610, a significant fire severely damaged Neuberg Castle. Following this event, the von Zedtwitz family abandoned the ruined fortress and constructed new residences nearby, including a chateau in Podhradí, which was notably built using stone and materials salvaged from the former castle. Over the following decades, the castle ceased to function as a noble seat.

After the destructive Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, Neuberg Castle fell further into disuse and neglect. During the 20th century Czechoslovak era, the lower castle was left to deteriorate, while a fire in 1902 destroyed the upper castle, which was never rebuilt. Preservation efforts did not begin in earnest until the late 20th century, with significant restoration work commencing after the year 2000. Between 2015 and 2018, the castle’s main cylindrical tower was renovated and made accessible.

Adjacent to the castle site, the Evangelical Church of the Good Shepherd was erected in the 15th century, reflecting the area’s religious transformation following the castle’s separation from the jurisdiction of Cheb in 1422 and the region’s move toward Lutheranism.