Support group for the preservation and research of the Turmhoelzle ruins

The aim of the support group "Förderkreis Ruine Turmhölzle e.V." is to research and conserve the Turmhoelzle ruins near Schopfheim-Raitbach and other castle ruins in the upper Wiesental valley,

to document them,
to conserve existing wall remains,
to provide information for visitors and
organise lectures and excursions.

Through private initiative we want to stop the decay of the Turmhölzle ruins. We would also like to research the Turmhölzle ruins as a remarkable example of a ministerial castle and make it better known and more accessible to the public.

At a later date, we would also like to work on the other castles in the upper Wiesental, which are also described on this homepage.

We need more collaborators and supporters for our preservation and research. Every contribution, every support, every co-operation is welcome.

Saturday, October 26th, 2024, Guided Tour and Reconstruction of the ring wall

Menschengruppe im Wald vor Mauerresten Club members on the castle plateau. Photo: J. Sitzmann

A small section of the curtain wall of Turmhölzle Castle still remains. This was in danger of collapsing completely.

Several members of the support group took part in filling in the three wall excavations. The filling was carried out using the dry stone wall technique. This meant that the work was easy to carry out and is also reversible. This is important with regard to future renovation of the masonry.
The filling serves to stabilize the wall to prevent the threat of further collapse. In the case of the dry stone wall, the broken stones were often put back in their original position.

Neu verfügter Mauerrest

The reconstructed wall. Moss and algae have disappeared from this part of the wall, as it had been covered with a tarpaulin since fall 2023. Photo: M. Gembe