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Origin and history

Haneck Castle is a ruined castle located in the commune of Soultzbach-les-Bains, in the Haut-Rhin department (Great East Region). Built at 765 meters above sea level on the ridge of Herrenwald, it is close to Schrankenfels Castle, about 150 meters away. Its origin probably dates back to the first half of the 13th century, although its first mention attested in the sources dates only from 1307, when it was entrusted in fief by Conrad Werner de Hattstatt to the lords of Gundolsheim, with the surrounding mountain. This fief remained in their hands until 1422, before moving to Munster Abbey in the mid-15th century.

The castle was represented in 1610 in three watercolours linked to a conflict between Munster Abbey and the Schauenburgs over forest rights. As early as 1463, Munster Abbey owned the property and granted it in fief to the Hattstatt, then to the Schauenburgs from 1543. The latter conflicted with Abbé de Munster about the rights to the forest surrounding the castle. Although its occupation in the 16th century remained uncertain, it was attested as ruin in 1598. The site includes a quadrangular core of 22.5 m by 17 m, protected by ditches and artificial terraces, with a small dungeon at the southeast corner.

In the immediate vicinity of the Haneck, the remains of a square building, perhaps surmounted by wooden floors, are associated with a fortification named Bonbeck or Burgthalschloss, mentioned in documents without its history or role being clearly established. Assumptions suggest that it could be an advanced structure of the nearby Schrankenfels castle, intended to neutralize the Haneck, or a third independent castle, although this latter theory is less likely. No archaeological excavation confirmed these assumptions.

The castle consists of a partially ruined quadrilateral, with traces of cellars divided into two rooms illuminated by openings to the west. A false chalk, now almost erased, seems to have existed at the foot of the east and west walls. The entrance door, not precisely located, was probably located in the eastern wall, protected by the dungeon. The terraces on the steep slopes on the east and west sides may have hosted a lower courtyard, although this hypothesis remains to be confirmed by excavations.

Haneck's history is marked by changes in ownership and conflicts related to its strategic location and forest rights. Its decline began before the sixteenth century, and its permanent abandonment was confirmed at the end of the same century. Today's remains, though fragmentary, bear witness to a defensive architecture adapted to its mountainous environment, with artificial developments strengthening its natural position on the ridge.

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