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Origin and history

Malbrouck Castle, historically known as Meinsberg Castle, is a castle located in Manderen-Ritzing, north of the Moselle department, near the Luxembourg and German borders. Built between 1419 and 1434 by Arnold VI of Sierck with the agreement of the Duke of Lorraine, it was designed to resist the seats and put at the service of the electorate of Trier. In 1439, Jacques de Sierck was consecrated Archbishop of Trier in his castral chapel. Upon the death of Arnold VI, the castle changed hands several times, notably to the families of Sayn (1531-1608) and Sultz (1608-1643), before being assigned in 1648 to Louis de Bettainvillers, who obtained the right to use the name 'Mansberg'.

The castle owes its nickname 'Malbrouck' to Duke John Churchill of Marlborough, leader of the European coalition against France during the Spanish Succession War. In June 1705 Marlborough briefly set up his headquarters there before retreating, leaving his name associated with the castle, popularized by the song Malbrough, going to war. After the annexation of Lorraine by Louis XV, the castle became national in 1793 and fell into ruin. Ranked a historic monument in 1930, it was bought in 1975 by the Moselle county council, which undertook a major restoration from 1991 to 1998, respecting the Venice Charter and using distinctive techniques to differentiate the restored parts.

Malbrouck Castle, with a built-up area of about 1,500 m2, consists of four corner towers (the Lantern tower, the Tower of the Witch, the Tower of the Rocher Chauve and the Tower of the Ladies) connected by courtesies, a three-level house body and a central courtyard. Its defences include a barbacan, a mobile bridge, a ditch, mâchicoulis, and walls up to 4.80 m thick. The stairs, designed to turn 'upside down', favoured defense by right-wingers. The restoration restored the covers in schuppen slates, in accordance with archaeological discoveries, and completed the gaps with a distinctive rubble.

Since its opening to the public in 1998, the castle has been offering a historical scenography and hosting major exhibitions, such as Samurai and Chevaliers (2015-2016) or Les Héros dessinées (2017), as well as festivals, including the Festival BD Malbrouck since 2017. With more than 1.5 million visitors, it is an essential cultural site of the Moselle, integrating the Grand Sites networks of Moselle and Moselle Passion.

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