(The castle is now known as Burgruine Weibertreu.)
George Widemann relates a story concerning Weinsberg, in his Calendar, which Cousins repeats in his Swabian Chronicle: –
Several years before the casatle of Weinsberg was destroyed, in the peasant war of 1825, a governor of that place had murdered his servant. One Sunday evening, as he was praying in the chapel of the castle, he fancied he saw an animal creep out of the wainscot, and hide itself in a hole in the ground; but, on examination, he could find no hole in which it could possibly have taken refuge. He was surprised, but resumed his prayers. Then he felt a warm breath blowing on him, and alarmed, he fled from the chapel. He felt the breath again as he went, and perceived it proceeded from a dark spectre; whereupon he fell ill.
In the meantime, the spirit continued to make itself manifest, by throwing, knocking, &c., creating great alarm amongst the people; whilst in the town the thing was laughed at, and looked upon as a fable. But when the governor appointed watchmen to watch the castle by night, they were disturbed by the spirit in the same manner; and at length the annoyance extended to the guards on the town wall.
Then the people of Weinsberg held a fast, and walked barefoot to the church of St. Mary at Heilbronn, in hopes of appeasing this unhappy spirit; but they were unsuccessful – not till the governor died did it find repose. After that event, it was never seen nor heard again.
p321 of Catherine Crowe’s 1845 translation of Justinus Kerner’s “The Seeress of Prevorst”.