Château de Wangenbourg
Encyclopedia
The Château de Wangenbourg is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Wangenbourg-Engenthal
in the Bas-Rhin
département of France.
.
In the 14th century, the Wangens lost control of their castle and, ruined a century later, they were unable to maintain it.
In 1504, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilien I
, having vanquished the Prince-elector
, Philipp
, in the war of succession of Bavaria
, confiscated the castle from the cousins Hans and Stephan von Wangen for the count Tiestein, who himself gave it to the Archbishop of Strasbourg, Wilhelm III von Hohnstein, in 1516. Nevertheless, a branch of descendants of the von Wangens, Georg and Hartmann, continued to occupy the castle. Between 1535 and 1550, they reconstructed their logis in the Renaissance
style (see photograph below).
From 1578, the Archbishop of Strasbourg and the lords of Wangen disputed property rights conerning the castle. The Wangens were expelled in 1578, but re-established their rights in 1595. In 1680, the castle was occupied by French troops. In 1702, it was in ruins.
Restoration of the castle started at the beginning of the 20th century, and again in 1931. The footbridge in the photograph was constructed in 1961 to replace the old drawbridge.
is still visible, as well as the bases of the walls on the interior buildings. The castle ruins have been listed since 6 December 1898 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture and is privately owned.
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 Wangenbourg-Engenthal
Wangenbourg-Engenthal
Wangenbourg-Engenthal is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The commune is not a single settlement, but rather an administrative unit comprising the following eight mountain hamlets:...
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.
Geographical situation
The castle is situated on a rocky promontory, in the forest south east of the village of Wangenbourg. It can be accessed from the village via the rue du Château and then a small path. The castle is 100 m from the village.History
The castle was built in the 13th century on a rocky outcrop in south east of the commune of Wangenbourg-Engenthal, by the lords of Wangen on the site of an older castle whose history is lost. The fortress was mentioned for the first time in 1357 in a charter of the abbey at AndlauAndlau
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...
.
In the 14th century, the Wangens lost control of their castle and, ruined a century later, they were unable to maintain it.
In 1504, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilien I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, having vanquished the Prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
, Philipp
Philip, Elector Palatine
Philip the Upright, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was an Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach from 1476 to 1508....
, in the war of succession of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, confiscated the castle from the cousins Hans and Stephan von Wangen for the count Tiestein, who himself gave it to the Archbishop of Strasbourg, Wilhelm III von Hohnstein, in 1516. Nevertheless, a branch of descendants of the von Wangens, Georg and Hartmann, continued to occupy the castle. Between 1535 and 1550, they reconstructed their logis in the Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style (see photograph below).
From 1578, the Archbishop of Strasbourg and the lords of Wangen disputed property rights conerning the castle. The Wangens were expelled in 1578, but re-established their rights in 1595. In 1680, the castle was occupied by French troops. In 1702, it was in ruins.
Restoration of the castle started at the beginning of the 20th century, and again in 1931. The footbridge in the photograph was constructed in 1961 to replace the old drawbridge.
Plan
| N° | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Principal moat Moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices... |
| 2 | 17th century access ramp |
| 3 | Entance and access ramp to the lower court |
| 4 | Lower court |
| 5 | Footbridge and main entrance |
| 6 | Moat |
| 7 | Hartmann de Wangen's residence |
| 8 | Georg de Wangen's residence |
| 9 | Spiral staircase tower |
| 10 | Steam room |
| 11 | Kitchen oven |
| 12 | Chapel tower |
| 13 | Grand Gothig residence |
| 14 | Filtration cistern |
| 15 | Tour-habitat |
| 16 | Keep |
| 17 | Tomb |
Remains
The vast polygonal enceinteEnceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
is still visible, as well as the bases of the walls on the interior buildings. The castle ruins have been listed since 6 December 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 and is privately owned.