Château de Rothenbourg
Encyclopedia
The Château de Rothenbourg is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Philippsbourg
in the Moselle
département of France.
, dates back to the 9th century. Around 912, the Bishop of Strasbourg, Otbert, pursued by rebellious subjects, took refuge at Rathburg which is perhaps Rothenburg, and was assassinated there shortly after. The castle was certainly built by the Duke of Lorraine in the 13th century, and is constructed of dressed sandstone
. At the end of the 13th century, it passed to the Counts de Deux-Ponts-Bitche. In the 14th century, Rothenburg partly belonged to Count Walram de Deux-Ponts-Bitche who gave it as a fiefdom
in 1353 to Gerhard Harnasch de Weikirchen. In 1369, Rothenburg was taken and destroyed by the Strasbourg
eois.
The castle seems to have given its name to the Blick de Rothenburg family, who held several fiefs from the Lords of Bitche
, and who died out in 1749.
It is listed as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture and is state property..
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 Philippsbourg
Philippsbourg
Philippsbourg is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.- Sites and monuments :* Château du Falkenstein, 12th century ruined castle, built for surveillance of the Zinsel valley....
in the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
département of France.
History
The castle, built on a hill called Rothenberg or Rodenberg, to the north of another castle, the Château du FalkensteinChâteau du Falkenstein
The Château du Falkenstein is a ruined castle in the commune of Philippsbourg in the Moselle département of France, at the heart of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord. This semi-troglodyte castle dominates the Zinsel valley.- History :...
, dates back to the 9th century. Around 912, the Bishop of Strasbourg, Otbert, pursued by rebellious subjects, took refuge at Rathburg which is perhaps Rothenburg, and was assassinated there shortly after. The castle was certainly built by the Duke of Lorraine in the 13th century, and is constructed of dressed sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. At the end of the 13th century, it passed to the Counts de Deux-Ponts-Bitche. In the 14th century, Rothenburg partly belonged to Count Walram de Deux-Ponts-Bitche who gave it as a fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
in 1353 to Gerhard Harnasch de Weikirchen. In 1369, Rothenburg was taken and destroyed by the Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
eois.
The castle seems to have given its name to the Blick de Rothenburg family, who held several fiefs from the Lords of Bitche
Bitche
Bitche is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is known for its large citadel. The surrounding territory is known as le Pays de Bitche in French and Bitscherland in German.-Geography:...
, and who died out in 1749.
It is listed 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 and is state property..