Château de Greifenstein
Encyclopedia
The Château de Greifenstein is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Saverne
in the Bas-Rhin
département of France. Property of the state, it has been listed since 1898 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
family. The Petit-Greifenstein dates from the end of the 13th century or start of the 14th century.
in Alsace
with 13 metres a side. A renovated tower stands between the two keeps at the centre of the site. It was probably part of Grand-Greifenstein. From the terrace there is an unimpeded view of Saverne, the Château du Haut-Barr, the Château du Grand-Geroldseck
, the valley of the Zorn
and the Saint-Vit chapel.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saverne
Saverne
Saverne is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass over the Vosges Mountains, and 45 km N.W...
in the Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
département of France. Property of the state, it has been listed since 1898 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.
History
The Grand-Greifenstein was, without doubt, founded in the first half of the 12th century by the knight Meribodo de Greifenstein who had close links to the OchensteinChâteau d'Ochsenstein
Ochsenstein Castle is a ruined fort located in the French commune Reinhardsmunster, in the Bas-Rhin department . It was home to the Ochsenstein, a powerful family from Medieval Alsace...
family. The Petit-Greifenstein dates from the end of the 13th century or start of the 14th century.
Description
Visitors can distinguish two castles separated by a large ditch. The older part has the largest keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
with 13 metres a side. A renovated tower stands between the two keeps at the centre of the site. It was probably part of Grand-Greifenstein. From the terrace there is an unimpeded view of Saverne, the Château du Haut-Barr, the Château du Grand-Geroldseck
Château du Grand-Geroldseck
The Château du Grand-Geroldseck is a ruined medieval castle situated in the commune of Haegen in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace, France...
, the valley of the Zorn
Zorn
Zorn is a family name of German origin meaning "wrath". Historically, it was predominantly strong in German influenced cities such as Strasbourg, Kempten, Innsbruck and Würzburg. Especially in the town of Strasbourg, it was one of the most influential families containing over 33 family weapons of...
and the Saint-Vit chapel.