Not only the grand residence castles, but especially the numerous knightly, baronial, and countly castle buildings continue to shape the cultural landscape and the image of many towns to this day. Around 40 castles and their associated gardens, dating from the late Middle Ages to the dawn of modernity, were examined between 2014 and 2017 as part of a heritage conservation project. What exactly is a castle? What sense of social status is expressed in the castles of the nobility? How did castle architecture and gardens evolve over the centuries? How did people live in the castle? This knowledgeable general section is complemented by an extensive catalog that vividly and richly illustrates the diversity of castle buildings – seats of the free nobility, those of political climbers from the bourgeoisie, and country estates of the great monasteries.