Les Trois Châteaux d’Eguisheim

The three castles of Husseren-les-Châteaux (Les Trois Châteaux d’Eguisheim), alternatively referred to as the three castles of Eguisheim, stand in the French Vosges in upper Alsace. The group of castles is variously named after the nearby town of Eguisheim, or the village of Husseren-les-Châteaux.

The three castles, from north to south called the Dagsbourg, the Wahlenbourg and Weckmund Castle, were built close to one another, but not at the same time, on a low hill ridge. This type of arrangement, with a cluster of three castles, is found in several places in the Vosges and the nearby Palatine Forest in Germany, for example the Dreistein on the Odilienberg, the cluster of castles at Ochsenstein near Saverne, the Hohkönigsburg and the castles at Dahn.

Wahlenbourg is the oldest of the three castles. It was constructed in 1006 by Hugues IV, Count of Eguisheim and his wife Heilwige, Countess of Dabo, on the site of a Roman watch tower. In 1026, the castle was destroyed by Duke Ernest of Swabia. The edifice was divided into three distinct parts: at the top was the Count's Residence, below was accommodation for family retainers and officers, then at the bottom were barracks for soldiers and the stables.

Dagsbourg was built in 1144 by the Count of Ferrette but in 1197, after a revolt against the Emperor Henri IV, it was destroyed by Philip of Swabia, the Emperor's brother.

Weckmund: At the death of the last direct descendant of the Counts of Eguisheim-Dabo in 1225, the Counts of Ferrette became the closest heirs, but their claim was disputed by the Bishop of Strasbourg who declared war and occupied the castles of Eguisheim. In 1226-1227, King Henry of Germany, ally of the Counts of Ferrette, built this siege tower in the mower yard to control access to the castles. When peace returned, the Bishop retained the Dagsbourg and the Weckmund reverted to the Count of Ferrette.

References:

• Visit Alsace

Address

Eguisheim, France

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)