Beilstein developed during the Middle Ages adjacent to Hohenbeilstein Castle, which was built around 1080. After overlordship of the castle passed to the Margraves of Baden in 1234, the settlement was promoted to town status between 1250 and 1288 and is first mentioned as such in 1304. Since then it has changed overlordship several times. Ulrich IV and Eberhard II gave the town to emperor Charles IV, who returned it as a fief. Thereafter until the 18th century, the fief reverted to the next emperor or count before any assumption of office.
Beilstein was also an office and residential town of the Vogt. In the 14th century it was walled. The Reformation came to the town around 1534�35 and a Latin school was founded there in 1540.
Thirty Years' War held between Catholics and Protestants claimed many victims by acts of war, epidemics and famines. In 1622, the Battle of Wimpfen was fought near Beilstein.
First complaints occurred when soldiers were quartered with the town in 1623. Many horses were stolen. Bavarian soldiers occupied trade routes to Heilbronn and Schw�bisch Hall, so there was no possibility to buy grain when there was a huge crop failure. In 1628 there were further losses due to the invasion of Wallenstein's troops, demanding 65 bushels of grain in 1629.
The Battle of N�rdlingen led to much disease. Eberhard III fled to Stra�burg, so victorious imperial troops looted and burned down many towns and villages. Further rise in prices, hunger and epidemics resulted. Nursing of the sick, monthly requisitions, the building of a soldiers' hospital and quartering of soldiers impoverished the population. The number of Beilstein's inhabitants decreased so far that there were just 39 houses habitable in 1641.
Finally the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 ended a quarter-century of suffering. People were able to rebuild their villages, fields, and vineyards. The number of habitable houses increased from 39 in 1641 to 117 in 1655
