Château du Hohlandsbourg
Encyclopedia
The Château de du Hohlandsbourg is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Wintzenheim
, near Colmar
, in the Haut-Rhin
département of France. It is open to the public between Easter
and 11 November.
, Otton d'Ochenstein.
The castle came under the control of the Ensisheims before being given in 1410 as a fiefdom to the , then Counts of Lupfen, who enlarged it. In the 16th century, the castle belonged to , general of the Holy Roman Empire
, who, it is said, brought Tokay
vines from Hungary
to Alsace
. He enlarged and strengthened the castle.
With Alsace becoming French at the end of the Thirty Years' War
, the castle welcomed troops who blew it up in 1637 to prevent it falling into the hands of an Austrian army.
It has been listed since 1840 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture. The castle was restored during the 1990s to become a cultural and historical centre.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Wintzenheimois.-Geography:Wintzenheim is a small village to the east of Colmar....
, near Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, in the Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
département of France. It is open to the public between Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
and 11 November.
History
The construction of the castle, on the order of the Provost of Colmar, Siegfried de Gundolsheim, dates from 1279. The site, 620 m above sea level, allowed for surveillance of Colmar and its region. In 1281, the townspeople of Colmar revolted and set fire to the castle with the help of the BailiffBailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, Otton d'Ochenstein.
The castle came under the control of the Ensisheims before being given in 1410 as a fiefdom to the , then Counts of Lupfen, who enlarged it. In the 16th century, the castle belonged to , general of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, who, it is said, brought Tokay
Furmint
Furmint is a variety of wine grape from the Pontian Balcanica branch of Vitis vinifera, used for white wines. The name Furmint is taken from the word "froment" for the wheat-gold color of the wine it produces. While it is possible that it the grape is native to Hungary, the grape was likely...
vines from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
. He enlarged and strengthened the castle.
With Alsace becoming French at the end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the castle welcomed troops who blew it up in 1637 to prevent it falling into the hands of an Austrian army.
It has been listed since 1840 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture. The castle was restored during the 1990s to become a cultural and historical centre.