Winzingen Castle was first built in the 10th and 11th centuries and repaired several times after times of war. In 1696, it was so badly damaged by shellfire in the
War of the Palatine Succession that, despite provisional repairs, it finally fell into
ruins during the 18th century. In 1804, after
French Revolutionary Troops had conquered the
Left Bank of the Rhine for the French state, the
nobility and the
church had their estates seized and their land
auctioned. As a result, the dilapidated Winzingen Castle and its surrounding land went into private ownership. The wealthy Neustadt businessman, Schuster, converted the estate at considerable expense into a park-like gardens and built the remains of the medieval
palas into a
wine press hall.
Commerzienrat August Ritter von Clemm, one of the co-founders of
BASF, bought the land in 1875 and had the villa built in 1876 in order to use it as a lordly mansion. Not until 1893, when a circular
pavilion and a large
terrace were completed, did construction work finally end. From 1928 to 1971, Haardt Castle was a
Kur and recovery home, and later a hotel and restaurant. In 1971, the current owner bought the entire complex. The main building was restored and converted in 2002, during the course of which 19th century wallpaper was found behind the wall coverings. == Use today ==