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Origin and history

Frankenburg Castle is a medieval castle in ruins on the top of Schlossberg, between Neubois and La Vancelle, in the Lower Rhine. It was built on an older site, as evidenced by a protohistoric wall in cyclopean apparatus and traces of Celtic and Roman occupation. Objects dating from the Bronze Age, Roman coins (including one from Constantine I) and a bronze statuette were discovered there, confirming its strategic importance from ancient times.

The castle was first mentioned in 1123 as Frankenburg, in a charter of Emperor Henry V. It was allegedly built by Clovis according to a local legend, but this hypothesis remains controversial. The site was occupied by the Counts of Werd, descendants of the Frankenburgs, then became a fief of the Church of Strasbourg in 1232. In 1359, the bishop of Strasbourg took possession of it before partially yielding it in 1462 to the Grand Chapter of the cathedral and to the city of Sélestat.

The castle was destroyed by fire in 1582 and listed as a historic monument in 1896. Its protohistoric enclosure, called the pagan wall, was classified separately in 1990. This wall, probably dating from the late Iron Age or Gallo-Roman era, surrounds the castle on three sides. Excavations revealed Gaulish pieces and tools, suggesting a site both artisanal and cultural.

The current ruins include a large rectangular enclosure, a 13th century dungeon and a well preserved stone staircase. The site, accessible by forest trails, is now animated by local associations such as The Gold Hands of Frankenburg, which work for its preservation and tourist exploitation.

A local legend tells that the Virgin Mary appeared near the castle between 1870 and 1873, attracting thousands of pilgrims. This account, although unverified, contributes to the mystical aura of the place, already marked by its turbulent history and archaeological remains.

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