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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Freudeneck, located in the Lower Rhine, is a medieval building whose existence is attested before 1328, probably as early as 1306. It is mentioned for the first time in the book of the fiefs of Bishop Johann of Strasbourg. This castle, as well as that of Wagenburg, belonged to the Wangen family, a powerful local nobility but declining in the 14th century. In 1356, the Wangen brothers gave up part of the castle to Walter von der Dick, a family of high nobility that was less influential, which would be extinguished in 1386.

Over the decades, the castle changed hands several times. In 1373, the heir of the knight Hartung von Wangen returned him to Walter von der Dicke, who entrusted him in fief to Bertold von Wildsberg. The Wangen gradually lose their rights to Freudeneck, while the Wildsbergs and Hafner von Wasselnheim share the property. These families establish a castral peace, a document governing their cohabitation within the castle.

In 1408, the castle was besieged by the Strasbourgs after Hans von Wildsberg, allied with the Duke of Austria, harassed the city. The assailants, equipped with artillery and 50 cavalry lances, easily take the castle, almost deserted. Hans' brothers asked for his restitution, but Strasbourg ordered his destruction. Although reconstructed summarily with reused materials, the castle was abandoned at the end of the 15th century. It was sold in 1529 for 1800 florins and then fell into ruin.

The ruins, located 470 metres above sea level in the Wangenburg State Forest, are accessible by a marked hiking trail. Since 2004, volunteers from the Scouting, Nature and Heritage Association have been carrying out restoration work. The site, surrounded by dense forest, preserves a mysterious atmosphere, with remains like domestic ovens discovered by archaeologists.

The castle still appears on drawings by the Strasbourg architect Daniel Specklin in 1579, suggesting that he was partially standing at that time. His definitive abandonment probably occurred at the end of the 16th or early 17th century. The Bocks von Erlenburg were the last owners until their extinction in 1638.

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