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Key figures

Origin and history

Hohrupf Castle, also known as Hohenrupf, is a medieval building located in the municipality of Lautenbachzell in the Haut-Rhin department. It was probably built under the impulse of Berthold de Steinbronn, abbot of Murbach between 1260 and 1285, with the aim of defending the neighboring abbey. Its architecture included a rectangular dungeon of 10 meters by 8, positioned at 813 meters above sea level, offering strategic views of the surrounding area.

The exact date of his abandonment remains unknown, but archives attest to his use as a prison in 1444. Later, between 1915 and 1918, the site was re-used by the German army as an observation post during the First World War. There is no additional information indicating the reasons for its decommissioning or details of its military occupation.

The Hohrupf Castle illustrates Alsatian medieval defensive architecture, marked by high-rise constructions for the supervision and protection of ecclesiastical property. These castles often played a key role in local conflicts, while serving as a symbol of power for the abbeys or lords who owned them.

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