Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Guirbaden Castle, built in the 11th century on a site previously occupied by the Romans, was founded by Hugues III of Eguisheim to protect the Abbey of Altorf. As early as 1027, he passed under the domination of the Duke of Swabia Ernest II, and was enlarged by Emperor Frederick II between 1219 and 1226. This castle, the largest in Alsace, was repeatedly attacked for five centuries: burned in 1633, repaired in 1647 by Frédéric de Rathsamhausen, then razed by the French in 1657 after a new fire in 1652. It was then owned by Rohan's family before being sold as a national good in 1790.

Ranked a historic monument in 1898, the site was acquired in 1968 by an Alsatian entrepreneur who undertook controversial works: dismantling the door [19], consolidating the walls by injection of concrete (disimulated under the stones of the ramparts), and brutal abandonment of the construction sites in 1971. In the 1990s, a new owner secured access to the dungeon, which had become dangerous. Since 2015, an association has been working for its restoration, while access to the dungeon remains prohibited due to the risk of collapse.

The ruins, covered with vegetation, reveal a complex medieval plan: a ditch separates the eastern part (donjon [23], Romanesque palace [13] with windows in the middle of the hangar, courtyard [16]) of the western esplanade (Saint Valentine's Chapel [25], tower of the Hunger [6]). The walls in pink sandstone with bosses bear traces of military adaptations (cannons). The chapel, the only intact structure with its tiled roof, was restored around 1850 by architect Antoine Ringeinsen after a fire. Elements of the seigneurial house were re-used in the 19th century in a home in Ottrott.

A local legend binds the castle to the Templars: two twins, seeking a treasure buried with the body of Odile (last heiress of the persecuted Templars), would have caused a collapse by digging, sealing forever the tomb and the spoil under the ruins. This story reflects medieval beliefs around hidden treasures and curses.

The excavations and studies reveal a marked architectural evolution: the eastern half and the chapel date from the twelfth century, while the western part is built between 1218 and 1226 under Frederick II. A 14th-century barbacan and 15th-century chalk reinforce the defences. The 17th century wars (including the Thirty Years' War) ended in ruining the whole, whose stones were partially reused in the 19th and 20th centuries.

External links