vest iture ▁Cont ro vers y . ▁A ▁last ▁stay ▁of ▁the ▁H ohen st auf en ▁em peror ▁Frederick ▁Bar bar ossa ▁to ▁sub j ug ate ▁the ▁Sax on ▁princes ▁upon ▁the ▁de position ▁of ▁his ▁W elf ▁rival ▁Duke ▁Henry ▁the ▁Lion ▁is ▁documented ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁August ▁ 1 1 8 0 . ▁The ▁surrounding ▁lands ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁monaster y ▁of ▁Dor stadt , ▁in ▁ 1 2 4 0 ▁they ▁were ▁granted ▁to ▁nearby ▁He ining en ▁Ab bey . ▁Short ly ▁afterwards ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁abandoned ▁and ▁decay ed ▁during ▁the ▁following ▁centuries , ▁leaving ▁no ▁visible ▁ru ins . ▁While ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Burg dorf ▁arose ▁in ▁the ▁west , ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁Wer la ▁fell ▁into ▁ob liv ion , ▁though ▁a ▁chap el ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁still ▁mentioned ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁spec ulations ▁were ▁made ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁historic ▁Pf al z ▁Wer la ▁near ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Wer le ▁near ▁K ass ow ▁in ▁Me ck len burg ▁or ▁at ▁Wer l ▁in ▁West phal ia . ▁Not ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁the ▁found ations ▁were ▁re - dis cover ed ▁by ▁arch ae ological ▁exc av ations , ▁confirmed ▁by ▁dig s ▁of ▁the ▁Le ib n iz ▁University ▁Hannover ▁and ▁the ▁Lower ▁Sax ony ▁State ▁Museum ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁resp