Sommersdorf Castle: Mummies and Guestrooms
Mummies and guestrooms: Accommodation at the moated castle at Sommersdorf rewards you with bragging rights and creepy party stories. But lets start at the beginning, with a little bit of the castle Sommerdorf’s history:
History:
Sommersdorf Castle is a moated castle in Burgoberbach, Bavaria, Germany. The village Sommersdorf was first mentioned in documents dating back to the year 888, but Castle Sommersdorf itself was first mentioned in a document from 22. of October 1433. Hence the castle was probably built around 1400 by Ludwig (III) v. Eyb and sold to Wolf von Crailsheim zu Neuhaus in 1550. The von Crailsheim family still owns and inhabits the manor until today.
The Sommersdorf Castle Mummies:
In 1806, soldiers of the Napoleonic forces discovered mummies in the castle’s crypt. The mummy of Sophie Luise von Kniestätt is particularly interesting: She passed away in 1690 at the age of 42 after stillbirth of her eighth child. Her distorted face, bent arms and cramped hands and feet suggest that she was buried seemingly dead. The locals even call her “The One Buried Alive”.
Truth be told, nobody knows if Sophie Luise von Kniestätt was already dead as she was put into her coffin, or, if she awoke inside the crypt and miserably died in the darkness of her coffin.
However, Dr. Manfred Baron von Crailsheim, MD and lord of Castle Sommersdorf has a less gruesome theory about Sophie Luise von Kniestätt’s death: He assumes Tetanus as Sophie Luise’s cause of death, which would explain her cramped posture. Well, nobody knows for sure, but it is an interesting topic, that is worth remembering next time you find yourself at a boring party.
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Visit Castle Sommersdorf
As already mentioned, Sommersdorf castle is still inhabited by the von Crailsheim family. So obviously, you can’t just walk in. However, there are seven guestrooms available for rent to a very reasonable price. If you travel the romantic road between Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, this would be the perfect place to stay. A car, however, is required. For details have a look at castle Sommersdorf‘s website.
