Zavelstein Castle  The ruins of Zavelstein Castle, a former hill castle, stand at on a hill spur above the Teinach valley on the southeastern edge of the municipality of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein in the county of Calw in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg. Archaeological investigations revealed that the castle must have been built around the middle of the 13th century. The first written record of the castle dates to 1303, from which it is clear that a Herr Richelin, a knight in Zavelstein, had lived in the castle, probably from 1280. By 1311 Zavelstein surfaces in the documents as a Württemberg castle and was thus owned by the counts of Württemberg. Together with their lordship of the castles of Neuenbürg, Calw, Fautsberg, Wildberg and Nagold, they were able to maintain their influence over the newly acquired territories in the northeastern Black Forest. In the 14th century, the castle was frequently let out as a fief or used as a security. In 1342, Paul of Giltlingen sold the fief of the castle for 1,530 pounds of hellers to Count Götz of Tübingen. Three years later Zavelstein was transferred for a pledge of 5,000 pounds of hellers from Count Ulrich IV and Eberhard II of Württemberg to Count Palatine William of Tübingen. Because William died one year later without issue, Zavelstein returned to Württemberg in accordance with the contract. The castle became a "Leibgedinge" in 1365 for William's brother, Götz of Tübingen, but he gave it up just one year later. Zavelstein Castle gained significance in 1367, when the Count of Württemberg Eberhard II, the Whiner ("der Greiner") and his son, Ulrich, were able to escape to the castle from an ambush in the Wildbad by the House of Martinsvögel. Due to the poor financial situation of the House of Württemberg the fief of the Barony of Zavelstein was constantly extended. From a 1396 deed, it is clear that the pledge to Gerhard of Straubenhardt had passed down to his legal successors, Straub of Straubenhardt and Schimpf Gültlingen.