The Hochburg ("high castle") is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

ruin situated between the city of

Emmendingen Emmendingen (; ) is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the Emmendingen (district), district Emmendingen of Germany. It is located at the Elz (Rhine), Elz River, north of Freiburg im Breisgau. The town contains more than 26,000 residents, ...

and the village of

Sexau Sexau ( Low Alemannic: ''Säxoi'') is a village in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the N ...

in the region of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

, located in the southwest of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It was presumably built in the 11th century and was originally known as castle Hachberg. The line of nobles known as the Margraves of Baden-Hachberg most likely derive their name from this castle and before it was razed by the French it was the second largest fortification in Baden.

The name

Historians are uncertain about where the name Hachberg comes from. One theory is that an estate in the region was given to a man referred to as Hacho who was a part of Charlemagnes retinue. This hypothesis is also supported by an engraved plaque added to the castle by Karl II and a document dating back to 1161 mentions it as ''Castro Hahberc''. In any case, whoever the true builder of the castle is most likely chose its name for their lineage, resulting in the family sidebranch of the house of Baden known as Baden-Hachberg. The first mention of a transition from Hachberg to ''Hochberg'' can be found in French sources concerned with members of the lineage of Hachberg-Sausenberg, who were the counts of Neuenburg as well. The name Hochberg sees its German revival as late as 1787, when

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

Karl Friedrich, as second husband, married Luise Karoline Freiin Geyer von Geyersberg and made her the Imperial Countess of Hochberg.

History

The Lords of Hachberg

Dietrich von Emmendingen (who later called himself von Hachberg) most likely founded the castle to harvest the forests surrounding it for lumber. Its first mention dates back to a document from 1127. The further development of later property documents suggests that Erkenbold von Hachberg, the last of his name, gave his holdings to the Zähringer to finance his participation in the

crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

(1147–1149).

The Margraves of Baden 1161–1212

A document on the talks about the founding of the monastery Tennenbach from 1161 implies that Hermann IV von Baden was the reigning lord of castle Hachberg at the time. When his sons

Hermann V Hermann V may refer to: * Hermann V, Margrave of Baden-Baden (died 1243) * Hermann V von Wied (1477–1552) {{hndis, Hermann V ...

and Henrich I divided the margraviate among each other in 1212 the castle became the centre of power for the margraves of Baden-Hachberg.

The Margraves of Baden-Hachberg 1212–1415

The Margraves of Baden-Hachberg ruled from the Hochburg for two centuries, until Margrave Bernhard I, of the main family of Baden, acquired the castle in 1415 from the highly indebted Otto II, last Margrave of Baden-Hachberg''.''

The Margraves of Baden 1415-1535

The castle survived the war of the Oberrheinischer Städtebund versus Bernhard I in 1424 and even withstood siege during the German Peasant's War in 1525.

The Margraves of Baden-Durlach 1535–1771

Karl II greatly enhanced the castle's defences in 1553 and turned it into a more modern, renaissance style fortification. Margrave Georg Friedrich added 7

bastions A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

around the castle's perimeter and gave some the names of Hachbergs sister castles in Baden all of which laid in the realm of Margraves of Baden-Durlach. (Bastion

Rötteln Rötteln (Old High German: ''Raudinleim''this expression refers to the red shimmering limestone of this place) is a hamlet beneath the ruins of Rötteln Castle, which was once home to the Lords of Rötteln. Today it is part of the quarter of Ha ...

; Bastion

Sausenberg Sausenburg Castle is a ruined German castle on the edge of the Black Forest, just north of the town of Kandern in Baden-Württemberg, between the villages of Sitzenkirch and Malsburg-Marzell. The castle was originally the stronghold of the l ...

'';'' Bastion

Badenweiler Badenweiler (High Alemannic: ''Badewiler'') is a health resort and spa in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, historically in the Markgräflerland. It is 28 kilometers by road and rail from Basel, 10 kilome ...

) The castle was besieged for two years during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

in 1634 and was

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative, or social structures. This destruction of property is sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It ...

for the first time after surrendering to the attackers. However, in 1660 Margrave Friedrich VI induced the reconstruction of the castle. Hochburg 1609

Demolition

In 1681 the defences were destroyed voluntarily by the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

after they had taken many of the holdings in Baden through the Treaty of peace of Nijmegen and a manned castle Hachberg could have posed a sizable threat to their new territory. Only three years later peasants caused a fire which destroyed the remaining living quarters. And in 1688 French troops destroyed what little remained of the fortification, turning it into a

ruin Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

Preservation of the ruin

The first steps at preserving the ruin were taken towards the end of the 19th century and still persist to this day. Work was only temporarily halted during the two world wars. Th
Society for the conservation of the Hochburg
has been taking care of the ruin on voluntary work since 1971 and in 2007 they bought the tenancy of the castle.

Today

The Hochburg can be visited by anyone free of charge. It is part of the program for the state preservation of castles and gardens in Baden-Württemberg and in 1991 a small museum was added in the cellar. The castle has been depicted in several paintings and has many mythical tales surrounding it, speaking of hidden treasure and restless knights, waiting to return.

References

External links

English information about ''Hochburg Castle'' on the Homepage of the state heritage agency ''Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten''

Society for the conservation of the Hochburg

Burgen im Breisgau

Bild der Hochburg
im: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg – Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur
Musikvideo zur Hochburg von Rudolf Holgerson
*

Hochburg Pictures
{{Authority control Ruined castles in Germany