Patrician Manor of the Pfinzing Family
Supposedly, the manor was built as fortified house with a moat in 1460 by Hans Waldstromer. Another version says it was built by Ludwig Pfinzing on land belonging to the family of his wife, Ursula Waldstromer. Almost certainly, Ludwig Pfinzing was the person who completed the construction.
The manor house received its current appearance in 1562. The patrician Georg Tetzel built it after the original manor had been burnt down in 1552 during the second “Marktgrafenkrieg” (war of the margraves). The coat of arms at the front gate refers to Tetzel and his two wives. It is a so-called “Allianzwappen” that demonstrates the connection of the families von Tetzel, von Fütterer and von Pfinzing. The date 1568 is supposedly the year when Tetzel finished the construction work.
Tetzel sold the manor in 1585. It had six different owners before the free city of Nuremberg bought it in 1677.
In 1682 Dr. Christof Scheurl von Defersdorf acquired the estate with the manor house, the gatekeeper house, a draw well, another two-story building, garden house, barn and stables, an attached large garden and a pond. The property was surrounded by a stone wall with little corner towers. Remains of the wall and one tower are still visible today. The original fortifying character of the house was changed into a prestigious one. During a period of remodeling, the façade received a new structure and the size of the rooms was adapted to new requirements. The interior was redesigned in a more contemporary fashion. For 141 years the manor was in the possession of the Scheurl family.
Since 1823 the property had seen 14 different owners. Several incompetent renovations took place. The great hall was divided into two levels of flats and a basement floor.
In 1943 the later honorary citizen and pioneer of space travel, Prof. Dr. Hermann Oberth, purchased the manor house. During World War II and shortly after it served as asylum for emigrants from Eastern Europe. 1971 the second floor was turned into a museum in honor of Prof. Dr. Hermann Oberth and his achievements. The administration of Feucht bought the building in 1988. After extensive renovations the hall was restored to its original size and form. The Hermann-Oberth-Raumfahrt-Museum moved into the former gatekeeper house.
