Château d'Andlau
The Château d'Andlau is a medieval ruined castle in the commune of Andlau, in the Bas-Rhin département of France. It is a recognized historical monument since 1926.
History
Constructed on a narrow granite outcrop at an altitude of 451 m, the Haut-Andlau dominates the valleys of Andlau and Kirneck. The castle was built from granite blocks, certainly by Eberhard d'Andlau between 1246 and 1264. In 1678, after the joining of Alsace to France, it was pillaged by the troops of maréchal de Créquy. The castle stayed in the hands of the Counts of Andlau until the French Revolution and served afterwards as a residence for a gamekeeper in the service of the family.Confiscated as a national asset, it was sold in 1796 to a merchant who, from 1806 and, with no apparent public opposition, began to sell the castle piece by piece. In 1818, Antoine-Henri d'Andlau bought the ruin and saved it from destruction. Repair work was carried out in 1856. The castle was classified as a monument historique in 1926 and was reinforced in 1927-1928 with a restoration campaign launched on the initiative of the Vosges Club. It still belongs to the Andlau family.