Clan Rising
Dillenburger Schloss today

Germany · Partial ruin

Dillenburger Schloss

Dillenburg Castle sits on a steep hill above the Dill river in the town of Dillenburg, Hesse. Founded in the 13th century, it was the Nassau family seat and the birthplace of William of Orange in 1533; the principal medieval buildings were demolished in 1760, and today only fragments of the later fortifications survive alongside a 19th-century lookout tower on the site.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1650

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1650

What Dillenburger Schloss looked like in its prime.

Perched on a rounded hill above a bend of the Dill river, the castle is a compact cluster of stone and half-timbered buildings with steep, pitched slate roofs and many stepped gables; several square and cylindrical towers with conical or pyramidal roofs rise above the roofline. Encircling curtain walls and low bastioned earthworks of 17th-century design enclose terraces that fall to the walled market town on the lower slopes; the complex reads as a fortified hilltop borough.

Its story

The story of Dillenburger Schloss.

Dillenburg Castle was founded about 1240 by Count Henry the Rich of Nassau on a hill above the River Dill in Hesse. It became the seat of the Nassau family, and in 1533 the birthplace of Prince William of Orange. In the town below, the former Johanniskirche of 1491, Evangelical since 1530, holds the vault of the princes of Nassau-Dillenburg.

The main building of the old castle was deconstructed in 1760 after suffering cannon damage in the Seven Years' War. Nothing at all remains of the original fortifications, which were mostly wood; what stands on the hill today are ruins of the 17th-century fortifications, joined in the 19th century by a lookout tower on the site.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1650.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Dillenburger Schloss, including 2 interiors: inner ward courtyard, curtain walk and battlements. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the Dill riverMarket town and JohanniskircheStone gatehouse and outer baileyInner ward courtyardKeep and main towerCurtain walk and battlementsBastioned ramparts and outworks

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Whose castle

Clans who held Dillenburger Schloss.

The families that held Dillenburger Schloss for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Nassau

    Founded by Count Henry the Rich of Nassau about 1240; seat of the Nassau family and birthplace of William of Orange in 1533.

Questions about Dillenburger Schloss

What is the history of Dillenburger Schloss?

Dillenburger Schloss was founded about 1240 as a Nassau stronghold on a hill above the Dill river. It became the main residence of the Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg and was expanded into a modern fortress from the 1520s. Most of its residential buildings were destroyed during the Seven Years’ War in 1760, while the Wilhelmsturm was built on the site in 1872–1875.

What is inside Dillenburger Schloss?

Inside Dillenburger Schloss, visitors can see the inner ward courtyard, the curtain walk and the battlements. Parts of the sixteenth-century casemates also survive and are partly accessible. The former interior furnishings were almost entirely destroyed by the fire of 1760.

Why was Dillenburger Schloss built, and what was it used for?

Dillenburger Schloss was built as a residence and a fortress. From the 1520s, Count Wilhelm the Rich expanded the Nassau residence into a modern stronghold because of tensions with the neighbouring Landgraviate of Hesse. It continued to serve as the seat of the ruling family while being adapted to withstand artillery.

Where is Dillenburger Schloss?

Dillenburger Schloss is in Dillenburg, in Hesse. It stands on a steep hill above the Dill river, overlooking the town below. The site is located in the administrative area of Dillenburg.

When was Dillenburger Schloss built?

Dillenburger Schloss has medieval origins, with a predecessor dating from the 12th century and a foundation about 1240. The site was rebuilt and expanded in stages, including major fortress works from the 1520s and later seventeenth-century fortifications. The first-raised year is not recorded precisely.

Was Dillenburger Schloss ever attacked or besieged?

Dillenburger Schloss was besieged by 5,000 French soldiers in June 1760 after the garrison refused to surrender. Cannon fire caused a haystack to burn on 13 July, and the resulting fire destroyed most of the residential buildings. The fortifications were later demolished above ground in 1768.

Which family or clan held Dillenburger Schloss?

Dillenburger Schloss was held by the Nassau family. Count Henry the Rich of Nassau founded it about 1240, and it became the Nassau family seat. It was also the birthplace of William of Orange in 1533.

What did Dillenburger Schloss look like in its prime?

At its prime, Dillenburger Schloss was a compact fortified hilltop complex of stone and half-timbered buildings with steep pitched slate roofs and many stepped gables. Square and cylindrical towers rose above the roofline, while curtain walls and low bastioned earthworks enclosed terraces descending towards the market town. The fortifications included casemates and artillery works.

Is Dillenburger Schloss still standing or is it a ruin?

Dillenburger Schloss is now a partial ruin rather than a fully standing castle. The original fortifications, which were mostly wooden, have disappeared, and the principal residential buildings were destroyed in 1760. Fragments of the seventeenth-century fortifications survive, including parts of the casemates, alongside the nineteenth-century Wilhelmsturm.

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