One of the most distinguished Staufen castles in Germany, Münzenburg Castle calls for comparison with those such as Wartburg in Eisenach or Kaiserpfalz in Gelnhausen. Its two characteristic round towers make it a visible landmark which dominates the entire Wetterau region. This situation made the basalt cone so appealing for the construction of an elevated castle in the 12th century, especially since Wetterau had been expanded into a ruling territory of the Hohenstaufens. The castle’s patrons originated from the influential families of the imperial ministerialis of Hagen-Arnsburg. The imperial ministerialis, high officials and court officers were an important support to the Staufen ruling politic, which however, always relied upon the emperor and were thus nominally dependent. It can be assumed that construction of the castle began in the last third of the 12th century. The oldest part of the complex is the main castle with its impressive rusticated outer wall, with the large-format stones made from sandstone. The most splendid building was the richly-decorated, Romanesque great hall on the south side of the castle. After the male lineage of the Münzenberg family came to an end, the castle underwent expansion under Phillip von Falkenstein in 1260. The surrounding wall was completed first. On the north side which faced the city, an additional residential structure was built. This is clearly more decoratively furnished than the Romanesque great hall. The façade is characterized by tall two-and three-part lancet windows. The most recent building component of the castle is the fortress, which was built in the 15th century. The castle has three doors – one lower and one middle entryway, as well as the one towards the main castle. The castle’s decline began in the 16th century.