ges ▁were ▁marked ▁on ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁by ▁the ▁territorial ▁fragment ation . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁spiritual ▁Elect ors ▁of ▁C ologne , ▁Main z ▁and ▁T rier , ▁the ▁Count ▁Pal at ine ▁had ▁gained ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁since ▁Hermann ▁of ▁St ah le ck ▁in ▁ 1 1 4 2 . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁forty ▁cast les ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁between ▁B ingen ▁and ▁Kob len z ▁arose ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁mut ual ▁competition . ▁ ▁These ▁cast les ▁are ▁interesting ▁examples ▁of ▁late ▁medieval ▁military ▁architecture . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁partly ▁influenced ▁by ▁develop ments ▁in ▁France , ▁Italy ▁and ▁the ▁Cr us ader ▁states . ▁ ▁The ▁Count s ▁of ▁Kat zen eln b ogen ▁in ▁particular , ▁excel led ▁as ▁castle ▁build ers . ▁ ▁They ▁built ▁the ▁Mark s burg , ▁R he inf els ▁Castle , ▁Reich enberg ▁Castle ▁and ▁K atz ▁Castle . ▁ ▁Another ▁out standing ▁r uler ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁was ▁Elect or ▁and ▁Arch bishop ▁Bald win ▁of ▁T rier ▁from ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Luxemb ourg . ▁ ▁His ▁brother ▁King ▁Henry ▁VII , ▁Count ▁of ▁Luxemb ourg ▁and ▁Roman - G erman ▁King ▁from ▁ 1 3 0 8 , ▁had ▁p led ged ▁him ▁the ▁imperial ▁cities ▁of ▁Bo pp ard ▁and ▁Ober w es el , ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁around ▁twenty ▁cities ▁and ▁towns ▁established ▁on ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁between ▁B ingen ▁and ▁Kob