Location: Scherwiller, Bas- Rhin Department Map
Constructed: 1293
Ramstein Castle is located in the town of Scherwiller, in the Bas-Rhin department. Its name probably comes from Ram (raven) and Stein (stone) and would mean raven's rock.
The castle was built in the middle of the 13th century, by a
branch of the line of the lords of Windstein, the Ziedeler,
solicitors and ministers of the Hohenstaufen Empire, to control the
Zinselbach valley. Marking the limits between the episcopal
principality of Metz and the episcopal principality of Strasbourg on
which the castle depended, it protected the way leading from
Pirmasens to Bouxwiller which passed through this valley. The site
which dominates on all sides the slopes made it possible to see the
enemy coming and offered a clear view on the valleys.
Lord
Henri de Ramstein is mentioned in 1294. The Ramsteins from the
Windsteins take their name in 1269. In 1306 is mentioned Heinrich
von Uchterer. In 1318 the Castle is mentioned Ramenstein &
Ramestein. In 1319 the Ramsteins shared the castle with the Lord of
Fleckenstein, then in 1326 with the Dorschweillers of Torcheville.
Mandel says that Henri de Ramstein, Walter de Mietesheim, Frédéric
de Wasigenstein and Walter de Falkenstein had to act as guarantors
to free Henri de Windstein imprisoned in the castle of Bitche by the
Duke of Lorraine.
During the fourteenth century, the lords of
Ramstein, who had become pillaging knights, transformed the Ramstein
into a den of bandits. They are assigned before the Lord of
Lichtenberg to answer for their misdeeds but would never have
presented themselves. The castle was destroyed in 1335 during a
punitive expedition by the troops of the Bishop of Strasbourg and
their Bernese allies.
In the fifteenth century, half of the
ruins belonged to Count Louis V of Lichtenberg, the other half to
the lords of Bootzheim, an illustrious family including Johann von
Bootsheim, a friend of Erasmus. Michel de Bootzheim resells it to
Philippe de Ramstein, master of the city of Strasbourg. In 1569 at
his death the castle returned to the count of Hanau-Lichtenberg.
Located in the Hanau state forest, the ruins are state property.
The municipality of Bærenthal signed on March 4, 2008 an emphyteutic
lease for a period of 18 years.
The name Ramstein comes from
the word Rammestein, Ramme meaning in local language crows and Stein
rock or stone.
Historical controversies and untruths
The
construction of the castle, in the thirteenth century, is sometimes
attributed to the Lord of Falkenstein.
The castle would have been
built in 1292, it is indeed from this date that the embossed stones
- absent on the site - were abandoned.
The stately home is often
confused with a dungeon of which there is no trace.
Special
features still visible
The castle is built on a rocky platform of
variegated sandstone (or Buntsandstein) 270 m long and 6 m wide on
average. The rocky ridge provides support and constitutes the main
element of defense of the fortification by its height and
verticality.
We can still distinguish the remains of the
stately home, the verticality of which is visible from afar, as well
as doors, stairs, galleries and two troglodyte chambers carved into
the rock.
There is no vestige of a possible dungeon.
A
mushroom-shaped sandstone rock is located in front of the ruins of
the old castle.
Maginot Line
Below, we can see two
underground entrances that communicate with each other. They were
dug in 1936 by the military engineers to make a supply depot for the
Maginot line. These facilities were used as shelter by the
population during the fighting in the winter of 1944-1945. This site
is currently closed by gates because it hosts protected bats.
Status
The castle is listed in the topographic inventory of
the Lorraine region.
It is a classified site since 1924.
Access
Located at the exit of Bærenthal towards Mouterhouse,
you have to follow the rue de Ramstein to access the ruins. Continue
straight ahead towards the forest house. A parking lot has been set
up by the National Forestry Office on the left at the entrance to
the forest. A path leads to the ruins in ten minutes. There is a
remarkable viewpoint over the village of Bærenthal and the Zinsel
valley.