Hambacher Schloss made headline news in May 1832 when thousands of citizens from all over Germany met here to celebrate the Hambacher Festival. Their demonstration was for freedom and unity in Germany, and is regarded as the beginning of modern German democracy. The castle has an elevated position. It sprang up on the site of an old Roman settlement. The castle was built around 1000 and passed through various hands and suffered attacks over subsequent centuries. It was a ruin until just after World War 2, when it was restored. It displays exhibitions on the history of the site.
