Wolfstein, Rhineland-Palatinate
Wolfstein was founded in 1275 on Habsburg King Rudolph I's orders, which called for a “fortified and free” town near his castle, “Woluisstein”, now known as the "Alt-Wolfstein" (“Old Wolfstein”) ruin. Rudolph forthwith granted the new town the same town rights and freedoms as the town of Speyer. As an “everlasting marketplace”, it was to be a sanctuary for commerce, trade and dealing. The first townsmen and -women came from the surrounding, much older villages.
Beilstein, Hesse
The current day town is a combination of the villages Beilstein, Haiern and Wallendorf. Written records of Wallendorf trace back to the year 774. Beilstein itself was granted city rights on 18 February 1321 by the count of Nassau. Haiern is part of Beilstein since 1941.
"Burg Beilstein" (Castle of Beilstein), was mentioned in official records in 1129 for the first time, and was expanded around 1320 by the counts of Nassau. Beilstein was between 1607 and 1620 the residence of a branch of the house Nassau-Dillenburg with George, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. Early 20th century, the town was merged into the municipality of Greifenstein.