En un regard
Le château en bref
Le Wassenberg est un château fort en ruine situé sur le territoire de la commune de Wasserbourg, dans le Haut-Rhin.
It was illegally built around 1220 by Andreas de Girsberg on land belonging to the Abbey of Payerne and the Chapter of Constance. Its builder thus sought to seize the Krebsbach valley, a side valley of the Munster Valley, then being cleared. In this region already dominated by powerful noble families, the opening up of new land fuelled rivalry between lords and led to the construction of numerous castles during the 13th century to ensure control over it. While the Girsbergs were driven out of the valley at the end of the 13th century, the castle passed to the Hattstatts, who were themselves replaced by the Ribeaupierres in the 15th century. The building successfully withstood a siege in 1425, but is no longer mentioned after 1429 and seems to have been destroyed by an explosion at an uncertain date.
Virtually no remains of the castle survive above ground, but the study of earthworks and early iconography gives an idea of its appearance. The site comprises a castle core dominated by a pentagonal keep with a pointed cutwater facing the side exposed to attack. An imposing mass of masonry is attached to it and protects the residential building located on the other side of an inner courtyard. On the opposite side from the attack, the rest of the site unfolds across several successive terraces, including a lower bailey and then a castle village.
