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Origin and history

Herrenstein Castle, located in the Lower Rhine, is a fortified building probably dating back to the 9th century, although its current structure dates back to the early 11th century. It was originally built by the Counts of Eguisheim-Dabo, then confessed from the bishopric of Metz, to protect the abbey of Neuwiller. In 1005 Hugues d'Eguisheim, taking sides for the Emperor of the Holy Empire against the Bishop of Metz, saw his castle destroyed and rebuilt. This strategic site, linked to the Herrenstein seigneury, includes several villages under its influence and becomes a power issue between the ecclesiastical authorities and local lords.

In the 13th century, the castle was ravaged by Henry II of Lichtenberg and the bishop of Strasbourg under the episcopate of Philip of Florange (1260-1263). He then went under the control of the Lichtenbergs, before being briefly occupied by Guillaume de Diest around 1396. In the 15th century, the city of Strasbourg gradually acquired the estates of the castle, becoming owner in 1480. The Herrenstein, with a garrison of six to twelve men, was modernized in the 16th century by architect Specklin to resist the nascent artillery, while serving as a refuge for Protestants after the Reformation.

During the French occupation of Alsace under Louis XIV, the castle was purchased in 1676 by Reinhold de Rosen, lieutenant general of the king, who undertook modernization works. The same year, however, Joseph de Montclar's troops destroyed him. This monument, marked by successive reconstructions and conflicts, illustrates the political and religious tensions that crossed Alsace from the Middle Ages to the modern era. Its access is now via a marked path from the village of Neuwiller-lès-Saverne.

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