1000
The origins of Burg Leuchtenberg are shrouded in mystery. It is believed that an initial structure was built as early as the 10th/11th century. The older parts of the castle complex date back to Landgrave Ulrich I (1294-1334).
1118
With Gebhard I, the Lord of Leuchtenberg and Waldeck, a noble family enters the soil of history. Gebhard I was married to Helwica von Hopfennohe. Her older sister had married Count Palatine Otto IV of Wittelsbach. He was the father of Duke Otto I of Wittelsbach, the progenitor of the Bavarian ruling family. Gebhard I died in 1146 and was buried in the Ensdorf monastery.
1124
Burg Leuchtenberg was first mentioned in a document in 1124, when the first lord of Leuchtenberg, Gebhard I, received the Bamberg bishop Otto the Saint on May 17, 1124 to consecrate his newly built church, who stopped at the castle on his first mission trip to Pomerania.
1158
Gebhard II von Leuchtenberg accompanied Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa on two expeditions to Italy. He returned with the title of count.
1196
Gebhard II’s son, Diepold I, received the office and title of landgrave in 1196, after the Landgraves of Stefenike died out.
1332
Until then, the castle served as the main residence of the Landgraves of Leuchtenberg. Afterwards, they moved their residence to nearby Pfreimd, where they later even received the right to mint coins.
1500
During the 15th century, the Landgraves of Leuchtenberg were elevated to the rank of princes.
1646
With Maximilian Adem, the princely family, which can probably be counted among the most important families of the Middle Ages, became extinct.
1817
After Napoleon’s downfall, Eugene de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s stepson and son-in-law of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, was compensated with the titles “Duke of Leuchtenberg” and “Prince of Eichstätt.” He died in 1824 and was buried with his wife in St. Michael’s Church in Munich. The Dukes of Leuchtenberg made the name internationally famous, as they were connected to many European princely houses. Some of their descendants are still living today.
1842
Until this year, some parts of the castle still served as living quarters for caretakers and court clerks. The final blow for the castle came in the same year with a devastating fire that not only partially destroyed the castle complex but also reduced almost the entire market town of Leuchtenberg to rubble.
1882
Nature continued this work of destruction when, in 1882, a lightning strike split the keep and caused its side facing the market to collapse.
1902
In 1902/1903, the restoration of the tower and the preservation of the entire castle complex began.
Gebhard Herr von Waldeck as Gebhard I. von Leuchtenberg
Inspired by his father-in-law’s monastic buildings, Gebhard I also built a church. Bishop Otto the Holy consecrated it on May 17, 1124. Gebhard I is also believed to have built the first castle on the 573-meter-high granite mountain and named it Lukenberg after it. Gebhard I died in 1146 and was buried in Reichenbach Abbey.
Gebhard II.
He accompanied Emperor Frederick Barbarossa on his second campaign (1158-1162) to Italy. From then on, he appears with the title of Count. Gebhard II probably died in 1168.
Diepold I.
Gebhard I’s grandson, he was appointed Landgrave in 1196 after the extinction of the Stefling line. He frequently stayed in the entourage of King Philip of Swabia and, after Philip’s death, joined the rival king Otto IV, accompanying him on his Roman campaign in 1209. He never returned from there.
Gebhard III.
He and his brother Diepold II divided their possessions so that Diepold received Leuchtenberg and Gebhard Waldeck. He was frequently in the entourage of Emperor Frederick II. He died in 1244.
Gebhard IV.
He divided the Waldeck estate, but inherited the Leuchtenberg lordship from his uncle Diepold. He pledged his share of Waldeck to his brother Frederick II for 120 marks of silver. He died in 1279.
Gebhard VI.
He continued the Leuchtenberg line. Many accounts exist of pledges and sales. The Landgraviate of Leuchtenberg seemed close to dissolution.
Ulrich I.
With him came a complete turnaround. He was able to regain the properties he had sold and also acquire new ones. The most important acquisition was Pfreimd in 1332, the later residence of the Landgraves. He sided with Louis the Bavarian and participated in the Battle of Gammelsdorf in 1313. He died in 1334 and was laid to rest in the Cistercian monastery of Walderbach on the Regen River.
Ulrich II. and Johann I.
A division of the lands took place between the brothers in 1366. They acquired many estates and also received a substantial inheritance. In 1375, the rich inheritance of Hals passed to the Landgraves of Leuchtenberg. From then on, they called themselves “Counts of Hals.” The Landgraves were incorporated into the retinue of Emperor Charles IV at an early stage. He entrusted them with the captaincy of public peace in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Albrecht
He was the only son of Ulrich II. He had become embroiled in a bloody feud with the Zenger family and marched on their castle, Tannstein. After mediating peace, he had to pay his accomplices for years. He died unmarried in 1404.
Leopold
He oversaw various construction projects at Leuchtenberg Castle. A beautiful red marble epitaph, located in the parish church of Pfreimd, depicts him in knight’s armor. Leopold so enhanced the prestige and influence of his house that the Landgraves henceforth held the title of Prince. He died in 1463.
Friedrich V.
Through his marriage in 1467, he brought the Lordship of Grünsfeld in northeastern Baden to the House of Leuchtenberg. Friedrich served the Electorate of the Palatinate in various capacities, including as governor of Amberg, administrator of Nabburg, regional judge in Sulzbach, and administrator of Auerbach. He died in 1487.
Johann IV.
In 1504, he was temporarily granted the entire Landgraviate of Leuchtenberg. From 1513 to 1518, he held the position of Elector Palatine governor in Amberg. He elevated his residence, Pfreimd, to city status in 1497. His primogeniture decree of 1531 stipulated that the eldest son should inherit the entire estate and pay his siblings an annual allowance. John IV was one of the most capable Landgraves and died in 1531.
Georg III.
Emperor Charles V appointed the brilliant prince as his councilor and chamberlain. From 1545 to 1553, George diligently minted coins. In 1532, he legally acquired the Lordship of Grünsfeld in Baden for the Landgraviate of Leuchtenberg, which remained in the possession of the Leuchtenberg family until their extinction. In 1546, the so-called “Treaty of Heidelberg” was drawn up between him and Elector Frederick of the Palatinate. He died in 1555.
Ludwig Heinrich
He reigned for only a few years. During this time, the finances of the House of Leuchtenberg were in good order. The tolerant prince exerted no coercion on his subjects and tolerated both religious denominations within his realm. He died in 1567, when his son was only four years old.
Georg Ludwig
In 1583, he moved to Pfreimd to assume the government of his Landgraviate. A devout Catholic, he adhered to the provisions of the Augsburg Religious Peace of 1555. He became a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1588. From 1594 to 1601, he built the Franciscan monastery in Pfreimd. He served as President of the Imperial Court in 1594 and, from 1601, at the Imperial Court in Prague. He died of the plague in Vienna in 1613 and is buried in Pfreimd with his three wives.
Wilhelm
He loved company and good drink. In 1610, he left the ducal residence of Pfreimd, returning there in 1614. He ousted the Bavarian commissioner and ruled, sometimes violently, until 1621. After his wife’s death, he joined the Franciscan order and died as a Franciscan priest in Ingolstadt in 1634.
Max Adam
In 1628, he assumed the government of the Landgraviate of Leuchtenberg. The Thirty Years’ War brought hardship and misery to the entire landgraviate, resulting in the impoverishment of both nobility and commoners. He eventually chose the fortified town of Nördlingen as his residence and died of dropsy in 1646.
Thus, the last of his line died exactly 500 years after the death of his ancestor.