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Origin and history

The castle of Wasenburg, built in the 13th century on the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury, culminates at 432 meters on the Reisberg, in the northern Vosges. The site, occupied from Roman times (around 90 AD), served as an observation post for the VIII legion stationed in Argentoratum (Strasbourg). The Romans built a temple there, with a Latin epigraph engraved on a natural wall, as well as three monolithic pillars reused later. Abandoned after the Hun invasions of 451, the site was reinvested in the eighth century as Fasenburg, probably as a wooden construction.

The stone reconstruction of the castle was attested in 1273 by the bishop of Strasbourg, transforming the site into a defensive fortress. The shield wall, which is 3.70 metres wide and 22 metres high, replaces a traditional tower, while the inner courtyard houses stables, reserves and a knight's room decorated with Gothic windows. Some stones bear the marks of the taskmen of Strasbourg Cathedral, suggesting the intervention of master Erwin of Steinbach, emblematic architect. The castle, sober and functional, passed into the hands of local nobles (family of Burne, Lichtenberg) before being ceded to the Deux-Ponts-Bitche in 1480.

In the 16th century, Wasenburg became uninhabitable and changed ownership several times (Hanau-Lichtenberg, Leiningen-Westerburg). In 1525, it was damaged during the Peasants' War, then destroyed in 1677 by the troops of Louis XIV, responsible for destroying the castles of the Vosges du Nord. Ranked a historic monument in 1898, the site was excavated in 1899, revealing Roman and medieval artifacts (sub-relief of Mercury, pottery). Partial restorations (routed in 2009, Gothic Bay in 1909) today preserve this ruin, the best preserved in the region.

The site is home to a unique castral flora, mixing native plants (limestone, nettle) and species introduced by man (pervenche, primevère). A local legend evokes Eranthis hyemalis, a flower planted by a knight who returned from Italy in the 15th century. Visited by Goethe in 1770, which describes the stunning view of Alsace and Strasbourg, the castle remains a symbol of the Alsatian heritage, managed since 1890 by the state.

Historical counter-truths include the attribution of its reconstruction to Conrad de Lichtenberg (allied with Rodolphe de Habsburg) or its total destruction by the troops of Mélac. The task marks and architectural style however link Wasenburg to the Strasbourg Cathedral, confirming its strategic role in regional defence.

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