Homburg Castle served as the seat of the Lords of Homburg for a long time. The castle complex itself is situated on a rocky outcrop that drops steeply down toward the village. Over the centuries, the imposing castle complex fell into ruin, like many other castles in the Hegau region, and was eventually abandoned.
The origins of Homburg date back to the 11th century, when the Lords of Homburg—former ministerials of the Bishop of Constance—had the ring wall constructed on the glacial gravel deposits high above Stahringen. Stahringen was subsequently mentioned in historical documents for a long time as a village of knights.
During the Swiss War of 1499, the castle was plundered, its inhabitants stripped of their possessions, and the castle burned to the ground. In 1502, it was rebuilt and even expanded.
In 1565, Wolf von Homburg sold his domain to his son-in-law, Hans Konrad von Bodman. He himself died a year later without heirs in Radolfzell, where a bronze epitaph in the cathedral still commemorates him today. The lords of Bodman ruled Stahringen for just under 50 years. In 1614, the village and Homburg passed to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Gallen.
During the Thirty Years’ War, there were multiple changes in ownership. The castle was occupied by both Protestant and Catholic troops. In 1642, the castle was raided and burned to the ground. After the war, it served as a quarry; remnants can still be found today in the courtyards beneath the ruins.
