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Waldeck Castle dans le Haut-Rhin

Haut-Rhin

Waldeck Castle


    68220 Leymen

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1149
First entry
1327-1342
Change of ownership
18 octobre 1356
Destructive earthquake
1361
Back to Vitzum
1453
New fief
1648
End of possession
1881
Archaeological excavations
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Famille de Waldeck - First known owners Owned the castle in 1149
Famille Vitzum - Successive owners Control between 1327-1342 and 1361
Ville de Bâle - Temporary conqueror Take the castle before 1356
Habsbourg - Feudal suzerains Give the castle in fief
Reich de Reichenstein - Last known lords Owned from 1453 to 1648

Origin and history

The Waldeck Castle is a medieval ruin located on a limestone rock in Leimen, Alsace, close to the Swiss border. Its strategic location, marked by a wide gap, reflects its defensive role in the region. The archaeological excavations of 1881 revealed objects today preserved at the Basel Museum, attesting to its local historic importance.

In 1149, the castle belonged to the Waldeck family, before passing between 1327 and 1342 under the control of the Vitzum family. Conquered by the city of Basel, it suffered major damage during the earthquake of 1356, which left it in ruins. Not rebuilt, he changed his hands again in 1361, when the Vitzums took him back in the Habsburgs. Later, in 1453, it was attributed to Reichenstein's Reich, which retained it until 1648.

The site, now in a vestige state, illustrates the conflicts and alliances between noble families, powerful cities like Basel, and the Habsburgs. Its gradual abandonment after the 14th century made it a silent witness to the political and natural upheavals that marked medieval Alsace. The objects discovered in 1881 provide material insight into everyday life and cultural exchanges of the time.

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