Although the earliest record only goes back to 1214, the castle is clearly much older. In 914, the area around Hilders came into the possession of Regenher of Weid as the result of an exchange of estates by Fulda Abbey and it was Regenher who probably built the first castle on the Auersberg. Around 1120 it was renovated or remodelled into a small knight's castle, probably by the counts of Henneberg, who had since acquired the territory. It was then used either as the seat of a younger brother or one of their vogts. Thereafter it had a very varied history, being located as it was on the border between several rival ecclesial and secular rulers.