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Origin and history

The Ochsenstein Castle, located in Reinhardsmunster, Lower Rhine, is a medieval fortified complex built on three sandstone spurs: Grand Ochsenstein, Petit Ochsenstein and Wachelheim Castle. Built at the end of the 12th century, it controlled a strategic passage between the plain of Alsace and Lorraine, defended by the powerful family of Ochsenstein, vassal of the bishopric of Metz. Its architecture reflects its military and seigneurial role, with dungeons, tanks and walls adapted to firearms.

The first mention of a lord of Ochsenstein dates back to 1187 with Bourcard (Burchardus), who signed a charter by Frédéric Barberousse. In 1217 Otton I divided his estates between his sons: Otton II inherited the Grand Ochsenstein, Erberhard from Wachelheim Castle, and Conrad from Greifenstein. The castle, several times destroyed and rebuilt (especially in 1382 by Strasbourg), became a political issue. Otton IV, Imperial Landvogt, modernizes it, but conflicts with the Margrave of Baden and the Bishop of Strasbourg weaken the lineage.

In the 15th century, the family of Ochsenstein gradually disappeared. Georges I, taken prisoner twice, ruined the seigneury financially. In 1485 his sister Cunegunde, wife of Henri de Deux-Ponts-Bitche, inherited the estate, despite the protests of Guillaume de Ribeaupierre. The castle, mortgaged in 1527, was bought in 1555 by Jacques de Deux-Ponts-Bitche, who renovated it before a fire brought it to ruins in 1559. The stones will later be used to build a hunting appointment.

The ruins, classified as Historic Monument in 1898, still reveal remarkable remains: a 13th century polygonal dungeon, a vaulted cistern, a circular tower adapted to firearms, and stairs carved in the rock. The Grand Ochsenstein, separated in two parts, housed a seigneurial house and a chapel. The site, accessible by a forest path, dominates the Saverne forest at 584 meters above sea level, offering a panorama of the surrounding valleys.

The decline of the castle accelerated with the wars of the seventeenth century. In 1632, the passage of Swedish troops completed its destruction. In the 18th century, its stones were reused for local constructions. Today, the ruins illustrate the turbulent history of medieval Alsace, marked by feudal rivalries, imperial alliances and architectural adaptation to military progress.

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