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Château de Frauenberg en Moselle

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château fort
Moselle

Château de Frauenberg

    2 Rue du Château
    57200 Frauenberg
Château de Frauenberg
Château de Frauenberg
Crédit photo : EPei. - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1370
First mention of the castle
1633
Taken by the Swedes
1681
Lordship of the Leyen
1786
Villeroy Foundation
1796
Sale of the domain
1921
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Castle (ruins): by order of 26 April 1921

Key figures

Seigneurs de Sierck - Initial owners 14th century to 1471.
Cardinal de Richelieu - Dismantling Officer 1633, during the Thirty Years War.
Charles Gravier de Vergennes - Minister of Louis XVI Owner before 1796.
Nicolas Villeroy - Foundation 1786, origin Villeroy & Boch.
Simon Lazard - Founder bank Lazard Born in Frauenberg in 1828.

Origin and history

The castle of Frauenberg, mentioned in 1370, was originally owned by the lords of Sierck from the 14th century until 1471, and then passed into the hands of the lords of Linange until the 16th century. This castle, symbol of feudal power, was a strategic issue in the border region between Lorraine and the German territories. Its architecture, marked by a cylindrical dungeon and enclosure walls, reflects the military and residential adaptations of the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In 1633, during the Thirty Years' War, the castle was taken by the Swedes, then dismantled by order of Cardinal Richelieu, marking a turning point in his history. The seigneury then changed hands several times: it was given to the lords of Leyen in 1681, before being acquired by Charles Gravier de Vergennes, minister of Louis XVI and Baron de Welferding. The estate was finally sold in 1796, after the French Revolution.

The ruins of the castle, classified as a historical monument in 1921, are today the only visible evidence of this rich past. They include vestiges of the 13th century remodeled in the 17th century, such as the dungeon and ditches. The site, managed by a local association, also recalls the historical importance of Frauenberg, a border village marked by Lorrain and German influences, as well as a Jewish community whose synagogue was destroyed in 1940.

The castle is also linked to notable historical figures, such as Nicolas Villeroy, who developed a factory there in 1786, at the origin of the famous Villeroy & Boch factory. Simon Lazard, founder of the Lazard Frères bank, was born there in 1828, while Jean-Marie Rausch, former minister and mayor of Metz, spent his childhood there. These personalities illustrate Frauenberg's role as a crossroads of economic and political influences.

External links