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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Warthenberg Castle is a former castle built around 1158 by Count Hugo of Dagsburg (Eguisheim-Dabo), confessed to the bishopric of Metz and the abbey of Neuviller. It was destroyed before its completion, and then finally abandoned after an attempted reconstruction aborted by the Lichtenbergs around 1260. The remains, buried underground, were discovered between 1984 and 1994 through archaeological excavations.

The site, about 200 metres in length and 50 metres in maximum width, stands on the ridge of the Daubenschlag rock, overlooking the village of Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne. The stones used for its construction, some with bosses, came from a 12th century quarry located 2 km from the site. In 1515, the Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg reported that the inhabitants of Dossenheim took stones from the castle to build a bridge.

Ranked a historic monument in 1994, Warthenberg Castle delivered artifacts such as trumpets or horns. Its history is marked by construction failures and partial reuse of its materials by local people. Recent excavations have led to a better understanding of his organization and role in the Middle Ages.

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