Château de Lichtenberg

The first documented mention of Lichtenberg Castle dates back to 1206, when it was owned by the noble family of Lichtenberg. In 1305, Lichtenberg was granted city rights with market privileges. After the Lichtenberg family died out in 1480, the castle passed to the Counts of Hanau and Zweibrücken-Bitsch, before falling entirely to the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg in 1570. From 1570, Count Philipp IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg commissioned Daniel Specklin to rebuild the castle. In 1678, the complex was conquered by the troops of Louis XIV and two years later, in 1680, it was ceded to France. Its use as a fortress ended in 1870, when the castle was destroyed by Württemberg troops during the Franco-Prussian War. As early as 1878, the ruin was placed under monument protection, which was confirmed by the French authorities in 1930. After being handed over to the water and forestry administration in 1957, the castle became the property of the municipality of Lichtenberg in 1970. A restoration project began in 1993.