Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Urendorf, located in Ernolsheim-Bruche in the Lower Rhine, finds its origins in a first building of the 15th century which remains the north and west walls as well as corner turrets. This medieval castle, probably surrounded by ditches, formed a defensive quadrilateral. At the heart of this ensemble, a higher house was erected in 1554 by Hans Caspar Ritter von Urendorf, as evidenced by a dated cartridge.

In 1590, modifications were made to the building, as evidenced by an inscription on a lintel. The male lineage of the Ritter von Urendorf died in 1634-1636, resulting in the division of the castle between the families of Bettendorf and Landsberg in 1651. The Bettendorf sold it in 1685 to the Rathsamhausen-Ehnwihr, marking a new phase of work attested by the date 1699 engraved on a window.

In the 18th century, the castle changed hands several times: acquired by the Cléry in 1732, then by the Wimpfen in 1754, and finally by the Wurmser in 1781. After the Revolution, it was transformed into a farm. In 1936, three towers and the main house body were listed as historical monuments. The site also preserves traces of its past, like a plane tree planted during the Revolution.

Today's architecture combines Renaissance (1554) and medieval remains (15th century), with 17th and 18th century modifications. The half-timber of the eastern façade was cleared in 1936, revealing historical structural details. The estate, once surrounded by ditches, also had agricultural dependencies now partially replaced.

The castle illustrates the evolution of an Alsatian seigneury, passing from the hands of local noble families (Urendorf, Bettendorf) to foreign owners (Cléry de Fribourg), before becoming a national property and then a farm. Its registration in 1936 underlines its heritage importance, despite the transformations experienced in the 19th century.

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