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Origin and history

The old castle of Abreschviller is an ancient feudal castle whose ruins remain in the forest of Streitwald, on the border of the communes of Abreschviller and Saint-Quirin, Moselle. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, it belonged to a confessor of the Priory of Saint Quirin, Volmar of Hunebourg, then to the Counts of Dabo. Its exact use remains uncertain, although assumptions suggest an occasional residence or a hunting relay. An unconfirmed legend suggests that Pope Leo IX was born there.

The ruins, long confused with Gallo-Roman remains, were identified as medieval in 1979 by J. Schnoering. Excavations in the 2010s revealed that the nearby sandstone quarry would have been used for its construction. The site, accessible to hikers, is located near the Vosges Club Trail and the archaeological site of the Cross-Guillaume.

The first written description of the ruins dates from 1836, by archaeologist Jean-Louis Dugas de Beaulieu. The castle is also called the "Château d'Ischeid", with reference to a missing village located in the area. Despite its poorly known history, it bears witness to the medieval occupation of this Vosges forest region.

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