Château de Lutzelbourg
Encyclopedia
The Château de Lutzelbourg is a ruined medieval castle, above the town of Ottrott
, in the Bas-Rhin
department of eastern France (Alsace
).
Recent searches allowed to unearth the bases of a primitive castle situated between the current ruins of both castles. This primitive castle, named Old Lutzelbourg, was built very certainly by 1076 on the initiative of the counts of Eguisheim solicitors of Hohenbourg's monastery (Sainte-Odile) located some kilometres from there.
This first mansion will be destroyed by the Hohenstaufen at the beginning of the 12th century but will immediately raised again by them to be finally enfeoffed to Conrad de Lutzelbourg in 1196. In 1198, it was then arsoned by the party of the Eguisheim-Dabo.
The construction of the new castle, which will be called in the middle of the 16th century "Rathsamhausen", begins by the beginning of the 13th under Otto of Burgundy firmly decided to take back the hand on the region.
The works had to end after 1220, the Lutzelbourg being always present on the scene because in 1230 Elisabeth de Lutzelbourg is appointed abbess of the monastery of Hohenbourg. By the middle of the 13th century the castle presently called "Lutzelbourg" is built just under the nose of" Rathsamhausen" .
During the visit of the site, we notice that the defences of "Lutzelbourg" are turned towards its neighbour, always in the hands of the Hohenstaufen. The historians suppose that it was built on the initiative of the bishop of Strasbourg, Henri de Stahleck, to gain control on the imperial possessions.
During the works, the defenders of "Rathsamhausen" do not stay crossed arms and build an impressive keep turned too towards its neighbour. We guess the atmosphere, far from being cordial, who had to prevail on the construction site!
By the end of the 13th century, the Hohenstaufen has already lost all their influence on the empire and some kind of agreement was probably found between Rudolph of Habsburg
and the episcopal party.
In 1392, "Lutzelbourg" is enfeoffed to the counts of Andlau
who shall retrocede their rights next year to the Rathsamhausen-Ehenweier already in ownership of the nearby castle. They shall undertake to reconstruct both mansions at the beginning of the 15th century.
"Lutzelbourg" will again be destroyed between 1470 and 1570, probably in 1525 during the War of the Boorish, whereas "Rathsamhausen" will successively be enfeoffed in 1424 to Henri de Hohenstein then to his son-in-law, Daniel de Mullenheim.
Important Renaissance
looking style renovation works are begun by the Mullenheim between 1520 and 1530. Conrad de Rathsamhausen finally buys back the castle by 1557 to Caspar de Mullenheim.
It will definitively wear from then its name of "Rathsamhausen" which we know it even today. Without that it is a certainty, the castle will be plundered and ruined during the Thirty Years' War
.
The castles of Ottrott are nowadays private property. They have been listed as Monuments historiques
since 1985.
Ottrott
Ottrott is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies southwest of Strasbourg.-History:The village was first mentioned in 1059, in Latin in the ordnance survey of Heinrich IV. The area rose to prominence in the 13th century when a number of castles were built....
, 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 :...
department of eastern France (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...
).
History
The castles of Ottrott were built on the plateau of Elsberg about 500 metres in height. Two ruins, separated hardly from about fifty metres, raise themselves nowadays in this place: the "Rathsamhausen" on the West of the site and the "Lutzelbourg" in the East.Recent searches allowed to unearth the bases of a primitive castle situated between the current ruins of both castles. This primitive castle, named Old Lutzelbourg, was built very certainly by 1076 on the initiative of the counts of Eguisheim solicitors of Hohenbourg's monastery (Sainte-Odile) located some kilometres from there.
This first mansion will be destroyed by the Hohenstaufen at the beginning of the 12th century but will immediately raised again by them to be finally enfeoffed to Conrad de Lutzelbourg in 1196. In 1198, it was then arsoned by the party of the Eguisheim-Dabo.
The construction of the new castle, which will be called in the middle of the 16th century "Rathsamhausen", begins by the beginning of the 13th under Otto of Burgundy firmly decided to take back the hand on the region.
The works had to end after 1220, the Lutzelbourg being always present on the scene because in 1230 Elisabeth de Lutzelbourg is appointed abbess of the monastery of Hohenbourg. By the middle of the 13th century the castle presently called "Lutzelbourg" is built just under the nose of" Rathsamhausen" .
During the visit of the site, we notice that the defences of "Lutzelbourg" are turned towards its neighbour, always in the hands of the Hohenstaufen. The historians suppose that it was built on the initiative of the bishop of Strasbourg, Henri de Stahleck, to gain control on the imperial possessions.
During the works, the defenders of "Rathsamhausen" do not stay crossed arms and build an impressive keep turned too towards its neighbour. We guess the atmosphere, far from being cordial, who had to prevail on the construction site!
By the end of the 13th century, the Hohenstaufen has already lost all their influence on the empire and some kind of agreement was probably found between Rudolph of Habsburg
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
and the episcopal party.
In 1392, "Lutzelbourg" is enfeoffed to the counts of Andlau
Andlau
Andlau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village owes its origin to Andlau Abbey which was founded in AD 880 by Richardis, the Empress of Charles the Fat...
who shall retrocede their rights next year to the Rathsamhausen-Ehenweier already in ownership of the nearby castle. They shall undertake to reconstruct both mansions at the beginning of the 15th century.
"Lutzelbourg" will again be destroyed between 1470 and 1570, probably in 1525 during the War of the Boorish, whereas "Rathsamhausen" will successively be enfeoffed in 1424 to Henri de Hohenstein then to his son-in-law, Daniel de Mullenheim.
Important Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
looking style renovation works are begun by the Mullenheim between 1520 and 1530. Conrad de Rathsamhausen finally buys back the castle by 1557 to Caspar de Mullenheim.
It will definitively wear from then its name of "Rathsamhausen" which we know it even today. Without that it is a certainty, the castle will be plundered and ruined during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
The castles of Ottrott are nowadays private property. They have been listed as Monuments historiques
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...
since 1985.