to the count of Hanau. In 1476, the archbishop of Mainz, Diether von Ysenburg, signed possession of the castle over to his brother, count Ludwig II of Ysenburg-Büdingen. After Ludwig died in 1511, his three sons fought over the castle for six years, until 1517. In 1523, the castle came into possession of Philipp von Ysenburg-Büdingen, and he founded the Ysenberg-Büdingen-Ronneburg family, later called simply the Ysingen-Ronneburg family. Under their rule, the castle took on its present-day form and layout. After the death of Heinrich Ysingen-Büdingen, the Ysingen-Büdingen line became extinct, and Wolfgang Ernst I von Ysenburg-Büdingen violently assumed ownership of the castle. In 1621, large parts of the castle were destroyed by a fire, and thirteen years later, the castle suffered a major plundering at the hands of Croatian troops. As the Ysenburg-Büdingen family were Calvinists, they allowed Protestant exiles to stay at the castle, and for a while, the castle was a haven for many other types of religious refugees, such as Jews and Gypsies. In 1736 Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf took over the castle, and made it into a place of refuge for members of the Protestant Moravian Church. After two years, the castle could not accommodate the number of people who came to see it, and the Moravians founded another congregation, Herrnhaag, on top of a nearby hill near Buedingen. In June 2004 the castle was sold by Prince Wolfgang Ernst II von Ysenburg-Büdingen to baron Joachim Benedikt von Herman auf Wain, a nephew of princess Leonille von Ysenburg-Büdingen. It hosts a restaurant, a gift shop, and regular medieval festivals. Visitors may tour the castle on a daily basis. The tower provides excellent views of the Frankfurt skyline. Sites of interest The city features a middle-ages themed market, which is especially popular around Christmastime. The castle features a museum, a restaurant, and a falconry center. A nearby museum features working Medieval catapults and other siege weapons. The basalt cones features many sites favorable for paragliding and other related activities. References External links The official website for the castle Municipalities in Hesse Main-Kinzig-Kreis