Château de Hunebourg

The Counts of Hüneburg, likely descended from a collateral line of the Dagsburg-Metz family, are first mentioned in documents in 1125, confirming the existence of the castle and its early lords Theoderic and Folmar. They inhabited the complex until 1225 and served as patrons of the abbeys of Neuwiller and Honau. Konrad von Hüneburg, Bishop of Strasbourg from 1190 to 1202, was a member of this family. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the families Fleckenstein and Lichtenberg were among the co-owners, later also the lords and counts of Hanau. From the mid-15th century onwards, reliable sources on the castle's condition are lacking, suggesting a gradual decline. During the French Revolution, the ruin was confiscated, sold as national property, and acquired in 1809 by General Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, who thereafter called himself “Comte de Hunebourg.” He had the medieval keep demolished to create building material and space for new projects, but rarely used the castle. After his death in 1818, the Hunebourg was sold and was owned by the Feyler family from Neuwiller-lès-Saverne from 1823 to 1932.