Castle of Kintzheim

The castle of Kintzheim dating from the 12th century is located at Kintzheim, the Low-Rhine, with the locality of the Schlossberg in France.

History

Kintzheim was known with the Life century under the name of Regis Villa . The kings mérovingiens had made of it the center of a vast domain including the valley of Liepvre and the forests of Haut-Koenigsbourg.

774 the emperor Charlemagne makes gift with the abbey of Liepvre of part of its forests of Gunigesheim. 775 Crowned king of Lombards, Charlemagne passes the festivals of Christmas in Palatium selestatis probably located at Kintzheim. 843 the Lothaire emperor, grandson of Charlemagne, gives Kintzheim to Erchangar, count de Nordgau and father of Richarde, future abbess of Andlau. Ruins of the castle dominating the village of Kintzheim

Of XIIe in XVIe centuries

The construction of the castle begins about 1250 on order from the emperor Frederic II from Hohenstaufen . The keep and the rampart of protection which forms a unit with him are completed at the end of XIIIe century. The main buildings are built in XIVe and XVe centuries. The 1341 emperor Louis IV, known as “the Bavarian one”, gives the village of “Kinsen” to the town of Sélestat. 1492 On order of the Emperor Frederic III of Hohenstaufen, the landvogt of Alsace, Gaspard de Morimont, sells the castle at the town of Sélestat.

XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries

The 1633 castle is partly destroyed by the Swedes at the time of the 30 year old war. 1649 Sélestat sells the castle for 3.000 guilders with J.G. of Gollen, former burgomaster of the city become ambassador plenipotentiary for the emperor Ferdinand III of Habsbourg to the Congress of Westphalia in 1648 (end of the Thirty Year old war). 1650-1670 J.G. of Gollen restores the main building and the vault but does not establish its residence with the castle. 1760-1780 the last one living castle is a hermit who maintains the vault dedicated to the worship Jacques saint.

XVIIIe and XIXe centuries

Maintained during the XVIIIe century by J.G. Gollen, then by the marquis of Broc, his heir, the castle is left with the abandonment the shortly after the revolution of 1789. The roofs disappear about 1830. The 1801 marquis of Broc puts the castle on sale. The town of Sélestat tries to return in its possession. A 1807 decree of Napoleon 1st grants the property of the castle to Mathieu de Favier but this one must compensate the town of Sélestat by pouring 2.000 money marcs to him.

XIXe and XXe centuries

The 1802 future baron d' Empire Gaetan Mathieu de Favier downwards buys the castle of which it makes build a manor of style directory. The two buildings are connected by a landscaped garden classified Remarkable Jardin. The family of Mathieu de Fabvier had for contemporary and had for allied that of the Minister for Finance Jean-Georges Humann (1780-1842) , whose descendants today are still attached to the safeguard of the castle. The romanticism gives the Middle Ages to the mode. Medieval castles are restored by great architects: Purple-the-duke in France, Bodo Ebhardt in Germany. This last will restore with high expenses the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, inaugurated in 1908 by the emperor Guillaume II. In 1876 the general consolidation of the ruins of Kintzheim is undertaken.

1945 At the time of the countryside of Alsace, the castle is used as observatory and the keep is reached by shells.

The 1965 ruins of the castle are classified “historic building”.

1968 the Volerie of the Eagles settles in this single site, and becomes a major center of attraction in Alsace, with nearly 150.000 visitors per annum.

Today

Since 1968 is installed there the flying of the eagles which raises and present at the public of the raptors in the process of disappearance. Eagles, falcons, vultures and other superb specimens evolve/move within this privileged framework and take part in the demonstrations of flights organized daily.

See too

Kintzheim

External bonds

Flying of the eagles

Sources

Castle of Kintzheim on the site of the ministry for the Culture

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