Château du Falkenstein

The Falkenstein Castle is a castle from the 12th century near the town of Philipp Bourg, Canton Bitche, Moselle. Since then, it was destroyed in the 17th century, it is a ruin. She is a rock castle on a 120 meter long, about 22 meters high and three to eight meter wide sandstone cliffs 386 meters high.

History

The Falkensteiner valley belonged in the 11th century to the county Lützelburg. The castle was built in 1127 by Count Peter of Lützelburg as protection against the encroachment of the Hohenstaufen to the west. The Luetzel Burger died out in the course of the century, and it was followed by an inheritance dispute between the Count and the Count of Montbéliard Saarwerden. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1143, a step in the dispute and gave the castle to Count Volmar of Saarwerden. The ministry officials of the castle in 1205 contributed their office as a fief of the Counts of Saarwerden. That year was also the first known Falkensteiner, Jacob von Falkenstein, called.

The Falkensteiner joined forces in 1316 with Louis of Bavaria against Frederick the Handsome. From 1328 the castle was owned by Count Frederick II of Saarwerden. This gave his part from 1334 to Count Wilhelm von Windstein. A year later there was truce between the Falk Steinem and the Counts of Saarwerden. In 1377 the castle was besieged by the Lords of Lichtenstein.

The Lords of Fénétrange -Brake head got in 1414 the saarwerdischen share. 60 years later, in 1474, died Wilhelm von Falkenstein, whereupon his sons Godfrey, Ortlieb and William inherited the castle and inhabited. On the occasion innerfamilärer disputes received the Count Palatine in 1483, the opening right. After this event, the castle chapel was founded in 1487 by Wilhelm von Falkenstein.

The castle was in 1515 in the sole possession of the Falkensteiner over. They sold in February 1564 their last rights to Count Philip IV of Hanau- Lichtenberg, who angliederte the castle then the jurisdiction of the castle Lvov. Following a five-day fire caused by a lightning strike on April 19, 1564, the castle was damaged. Mended Scantily she served since then only as a forestry office of the Lichtenberger.

The Falkensteiner property was claimed in 1572 by the Duke of Lorraine. However, the castle was in 1606 again into the possession of the Falkensteiner. In the course of the Thirty Years' War it was looted and damaged in 1623 by Mansfeld troops and 1676-1680 finally destroyed by French troops.

Since December 1999, the entrance to the castle was banned due to storm damage. By July 2013, the castle was refurbished and has been freely accessible again.

Architectural History

The castle was built in the 12th century. The construction of the tower wall at the north end of the upper castle took place from 1220 to 1230. The towers on the west side emerged in the 13th century. The upper plate of the mountain rock was split in two by a moat and a new coat in the 14th century; arise as a second atrium, a second access and a second elevator.

The castle was rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries for the use of firearms, inside Renaissance buildings were constructed. In the 20th century the destroyed facility was partially restored and taken care of by the Tourism Committee of the Moselle for the preservation of the remains.