History

2nd century

According to the oldest remains, the castle already existed. It may even have been an imperial castle, as the towns of Morsbronn and Hegeney, which at that time came under the direct jurisdiction of the Empire, owed the castle a series of chores.

1287

The castle belonged to the bishopric of Strasbourg, but the latter had pledged it as collateral. To buy back the castle, Bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg imposed a contribution on his clergy.

1301

Bishop Frédéric de Lichtenberg acquires the castle and gives it in fief to his nephew Jean de Lichtenberg. Between 1375 and 1390, the Bishop of Strasbourg, Frédéric de Blankenheim, received the agreement of the Chapter and Jean IV de Lichtenberg to carry out new work on the castle.

1440

When the last two lords of Lichtenberg shared their inheritance, the castle went to the eldest, Jacques.

1464

Elector Frederick Palatine, known as “the victorious”, temporarily took possession of the castle, claiming that Jacques' administration was detrimental to the interests of the Lichtenberg family.

1480

When the Lichtenberg family died out, the Counts of Hanau and the Counts of Deux Ponts-Bitche inherited the seigneury.

1517

Count Reinhard de Deux Ponts-Bitche takes the knight Wolf Eckbrecht de Durckheim into his service and grants him the seigneury in sub-fief. The castle had fallen into disrepair and Wolf was commissioned to restore it.

1545-1548

Major works were carried out to adapt the château for artillery use.

1570

When the Deux Ponts-Bitche family died out, the entire castle reverted to the Hanau-Lichtenberg family.

1618-1648

During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was regularly used as a refuge by the inhabitants of Woerth, Morsbronn and Windstein.

1648-1663

The castle was guarded by a garrison of just 4 men. From time to time, the men of the seigneury come to perform a service there.

1663

The castle was ravaged by a forest fire. The Durkheims set about rebuilding it and took advantage of the opportunity to remodel the entrance to the castle (creation of two artillery bastions at the southern end).

1675

The castle garrison was reinforced by Palatine troops, who pillaged the region.

1676

At the height of the Dutch War (1672-1678), Vaubrun's French troops tried to take the castle by surprise, defended by soldiers from the Isenburg palatine regiment, but failed. The castle served as a refuge for the local population (according to the registers, baptisms and marriages were celebrated there).

1680

The castle was occupied by the French troops of Monclar and Melac, who eventually dismantled it..

1881

The first excavations were carried out, but no documents were produced.

1981

New excavations were undertaken. Maurice Frey's team (Strasbourg School of Architecture) cleared the entrance with its two artillery bastions.

1983

René Schellmanns resumed the excavations, focusing on the entrance pit and the south-east barbican, where he discovered a forge.

1999

Creation of the Cun Ulmer Grün association, founded by Jacques Bruderer, to rediscover the site.