He had the castle as a fief and the right to exercise jurisdiction and collect tithes. The castle changed hands many times until the Reformation.
Then the castle began to decay. The farmers of the surrounding area used the ownerless castle as a quarry, only the two round towers remained.
Its first mention dates back to 1140, issued by Naumburg Bishop Udo I. On October 3, 1819, the first historical society was founded here. A diorama shows wild horse hunters 15000 years ago in the Saale valley. New special exhibitions are presented annually.