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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Schlossberg is a 13th century castle, now in ruins, located in the commune of Kaysersberg in the Upper Rhine. Built around 1210-1220 by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, it was used to control a strategic passage to Lorraine. Its circular dungeon, among the first of its kind in the Rhine Valley, and triangular enclosure reflect an innovative defensive design for the time. The site was acquired in 1227 from the Horbourg and Ribeaupierre sires, then modernized in the 15th century to adapt to firearms.

The enclosure, built in the first third of the 13th century, linked the castle to the fortified system of the city. The 4.42 m thick dungeon was designed for both passive and active defence, while the main houses were adorned with eastern courtine. After a fire, the enclosure was raised by 4 m in the 14th century. The castle, abandoned at the end of the sixteenth century, was sold as a national property in 1796 and partially transformed into a vineyard.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1841 for its ruins, the castle benefited from restorations in 1999 by volunteers. Its remains, including cannon guns and a covered round road, testify to its military evolution. The enclosure linking the castle to the city was inscribed in 1995. Today a communal property, the site offers a panorama of Kaysersberg and its imperial history.

The castle played a key role in Germanic imperial strategy, locking the Transvosgian passages. Its architecture, with a dungeon wrapped in a beaked courtine, allowed a continuous circulation of defenders. Archaeological excavations confirmed its gradual abandonment after the 16th century, marked by agricultural transformations (vignes) in the 18th century.

The materials used, such as local granite and grauwacke, as well as the sandstone ambers, illustrate the resources available in medieval Alsace. The site, at 295 m above sea level, dominates the 50 m town, highlighting its tactical importance. The slots and merlons, partially returned, recall the successive defensive adaptations, especially in the face of the nascent artillery.

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