Station: [29] Casemates

During sieges, the casemates served as shelters for the castle garrison. They were also used as quarters for the guard units. Weapons and ammunition were also stored here. If you look around, you’ll also notice the walls and foundations of the two previous structures in these underground chambers. They were incorporated into the reconstruction of the current castle.

And down here, you’ll encounter something else: the legend of the White Lady, the Hohenzollern family’s ghost. She is said to have appeared to people countless times—shuffling, sighing, groaning—and, so the story goes, accompanied by a foul, musty odor. She prefers to appear at night. She is usually regarded as a harbinger of doom. She heralds the imminent death of a member of the House of Hohenzollern. Those who saw her would catch their breath in horror. So the legend goes. For an icy chill is said to have emanated from her.

Florence: Opinions differ as to who this White Lady was. One version tells of the tragic love story between Countess Kunigunde von Orlamünde and Albrecht the Handsome, Burgrave of Nuremberg. Two pairs of eyes stood in the way of their union. The countess interpreted this as a reference to her children from her first marriage and killed them. But in truth, it referred to the burgrave’s parents, who refused to approve of the relationship. After this cruel act, Albrecht turned away from Kunigunde. Hurt by his rejection, she is said to haunt the Hohenzollern family to this day.

This fear was even exploited during a siege. The young maiden from the Steinlach Valley, depicted in the library, used the legend of the White Lady and the people’s fear of her to gain unhindered access to the besieged castle.