Grevenburg was a castle inTraben-Trarbach in the federal state ofRhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the residence of the RearCounty of Sponheim and today is a ruin following its destruction by the French in 1734.
The castle was built in 1350 by the CountJohann III of Sponheim-Starkenburg and replaced Castle Starkenburg as the residence of the RearCounty of Sponheim. With the extinction of the ruling male line of the Rhenish branch of theHouse of Sponheim in 1437 the castle became seat of the bailiff of the new Counts to Sponheim (Baden andPalatinate-Simmern orPalatinate-Zweibrücken orPalatinate-Birkenfeld).
In 1680 it was conquered byLouis XIV of France and was extended, together with the fort of Mont Royal in the horshoe bend of theMosel north of the town ofTraben-Trarbach as a part of the fortifications. During theWar of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), in 1702 it was taken by the French underTallard and in 1704 on the express orders of the commanding officerJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough it was overpowered byFriedrich of Hesse-Kassel. The badly damaged castle was then occupied by the Dutch. In 1730 it was repaired by theElectorate of Trier for the defence ofKoblenz and theRhine river. In theWar of the Polish Succession it was takenafter three weeks' siege for the fourth and last time by the French who destroyed it in July 1734.[1] The castle was blown up, huge chunks of it have plunged into the valley beneath.
Of the castle, although only the western wall of the formerkeep remains, the foundations are largely intact[2]
49°56′48″N7°06′56″E / 49.9466°N 7.1155°E /49.9466; 7.1155
