Lycée d’enseignement général et technologique
Docteur Koeberlé, Sélestat [FRANCE]
Pope Leo IX; Eguisheim, his birth place; the three castles of Eguisheim: Première S1 and S2 e-mails (Mrs Clad's pupils) to III D in Anagni (Mrs Affinati's class)
Pope Leo IX
Dear friends,
Thank you for your mail, it was very interesting for us to read it ! We will now talk about the Alsatian pope Leo IX, and more particularly of the region where he lived. Leo IX was born in 1001 and he died in 1054, 50 years later. During the XIth century, the Ottonian emperors created the German empire of which Alsace was a major region. The Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of Germanic kings. Between 1001 and 1054, the ruler of Germany and so of Alsace was Saint Henry II , Holy Roman emperor. He was also king of Italy.
The second millenary begins with fear in Alsace : almost all the Christian think that the 1000th year is the year of the judgement day. A lot of Alsatian gave all their goods to the Church. but nothing happened during the 1000th year. That' s why the church delayed the expiration date successively to the year 1003 and the XXth century.
But the major event of the beginning of the XIth century was most certainly the destruction of the famous cathedral of Strasbourg. In fact, in 1002, a duke called Hermann II wanted to take revenge on the bishop of Strasbourg because he sided with Henry II which was Hermann' s main enemy during the emperor election in the year 1002. So he chose to burn the cathedral. But he was convicted by the new emperor to repair what he had done.
But the cathedral was completely burnt on 24th June 1007. In the evening, there was a huge thunderstorm and the cathedral was hit by a lighting bolt.
In 1015 the reconstruction of the cathedral began under the command of Wernher Ist, bishop of Strasbourg. It was the biggest yard ever done in Alsace. The reconstruction last 15 years and finished in 1030.
In 1041 a very important law called god' s ceasefire was voted in Nice. It forbid Christians to wage war more than three days a week. It was very important for Alsatian men because they made a lot of wars and this law allowed them to rest four days a week.
Other major events in Alsace during Leo IX' s life were his visits to his native land. He did those visits in 1049, 1050 and 1053. He notably visited and blessed the cathedral. He also forced the Alsatian lords to respect God' s ceasefire and he visited the castle of his family and the grave of his parents. He recruited 500 Alsatians to form his personal army.
We hope what we have found on the subject will interest you.
The Koeberle pupils ,
Lucas, Maite, and Valentin
The sculpture of Pope Leo IX at the top of a fountain. And in the background, a typical Alsacian house.
The sculpture of Pope Leo IX at the top of a foutain. In the background, the castle where he was born (on the left hand) and his chapel (on the right hand).
Dear Friends,
We are Alexander and Bénédicte, two French students of Alsace. We are writing you a few lines in order to thank you for your interesting expose about bread in your region. Throughout this new letter, we are going to teach you more about pope leo IX.
Bruno of Eguisheim, son of Count Hugues IV of Nordgau and Heilwige of Dabo, was born on 21st June 1002 in Eguisheim castle. He was destined to priesthood.
After studying in Toul, he became Chaplain to his cousin, Conrad II, then Bishop of Toul in 1026.
Throughout his episcopacy, he strived to reform the Church and refused to accept the interference of the Emperor in spiritual matters. In 1048, the Emperor appointed him as the new Pope.
His enthronement in 1049 marked a turning-point in the history of Christianity.
A remarkable traveller, he visited Germany, Lorraine, Alsace and the South of Italy. He convened numerous Synods and Ecumenical Councils in order to engage the moral reform of the Church. He also worked hard to restore Papal rule by promoting the concept of centralising the power of the Church.
Determined to maintain the supremacy of Rome over the other Churches, he was nonetheless unable to prevent the schism with the Eastern Church that occurred in July 1054, just after his death the 19th April 1054 following imprisonment by the Normans in the South of Italy. Despite this failure, the Papacy had recovered its prestige and popularity, and the reform of the Church was under way. Shortly afterwards, in 1087, Pope Leo IX was canonised by Pope Victor III.
In Eguisheim, since 1894, a chapel is dedicated to him. It was constructed in neo-roman style on the site of the former castle keep. On the vaulted ceiling are painted medallions by the artist Martin, in 11th century style. They represent 7 scenes from the life of St Leo, while the stained-glass windows, dating from 1895, symbolise the Saints of Alsace, many of whom came from the family of the Counts of Eguisheim.
We hope you enjoyed this cultural trip, and we are waiting for your answer.
A low angle shot of the entry of the chapel. A statue of Pope Leo IX in a niche
Dear friends,
We are Raphaelle MEYER and Maya HARTWEG and first we want to thank you for your letters that we read with much attention ! Thank you very much it was very interesting !
Secondly we are going to present you the life of our Alsatian pope : Leo IX who lived in the XIth century and who became Saint Leo after his death. He was essentially a traveller pope and he acted for the peace in Europe.
Leo IX was born on 21 June 1002 in Eguisheim, a little village of Alsace which belonged to the German Empire at this time (But his birthday and birthplace remain uncertain.).
Before he became pope he was known under the name of Bruno d'Eguisheim-Dagsbourg. He is a member of the high aristocracy since he is linked to the Carolingians by his mother and to the kings of the German empire by his father.
As he was the third son, he was fated to Church. Already at the age of 5, he was entrusted to bishop Berthold De Toul in order to be educated at the cathedral school and he was already gifted .At Toul he successively became canon and, in 1026, bishop. He imposed on his circle and himself a humble and pious way of life behaving as monk Benedictine so giving example to the abbots of his bishopric. By means of energy, he obtained the moral purification of his abbeys. As a consequence he became widely known as an earnest and reforming ecclesiastic by the zeal he showed in spreading the rule all over his bishopric.
On the death of Pope Damasus II, Bruno was selected as his successor by a clerical assembly in December 1048. But to accept this role he stipulated as a condition of his acceptance that he should first proceed to Rome and be freely elected by the voice of clergy and people. He was supported by the young monk Hildebrand, who afterwards became Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085) and when he was finally consecrated he assumed the name of Leo IX.
Leo IX favoured traditional morality in his reformation of the Catholic Church. The organs of government were reorganized; the services of the chancellery, henceforth very active, followed the imperial model and the role of the cardinals, to whom the key posts of the administration were entrusted. What's more these functions, formerly reserved to the representatives of the Roman families were opened to the "foreigners", what underlines the universal character of the Holy Siege and shows that these appointments did not have to recover any more from the clientenlism. He mainly fought against:
* the purchase or the sale of ecclesiastical loads;
* the marriage as well as the sexuality of priests.
He also believed that bishops did not have to be prefects of the Empire but theologians and he commended a return to "more Christian" values. He excommunicated and put down the bishops recognized guilty. He summoned twelve councils during his pontificate. He exercised his ambitions on Southern Italy which was coveted between Lombards, Muslims, Byzantines and Normans. It was a defeat and it definitively set the papacy at odds with Byzantium. It is also caused by the fact that Pope Leo IX claimed he held authority over the four Eastern patriarchs because of the papal supremacy he had instored. This event corresponds to the schism which is one of the most important happening in the history of Christian church.
A statue of Pope Leo IX sitting on his throne in the chapel dedicated to him.
Dear Friends,
Hello!!! We are Adeline and Morgane from the Lycée Koeberlé of Sélestat in Alsace. We are 17 and are in the 11th grade at school. We like surfing on the Internet and hang out with friends.
First, thank you for your letters. We read them with pleasure. That's why we decided to answer again. Now, we're going to speak about the life of Leo IXth, an Alsacian Pope, because we know that you have got a Pope in your area too. We think that it's an interesting issue!
Let's deal with Leo IX!
I His family and childhood
Pope Saint Leo IX was born on June 21st 1002 and died on April 19th 1054. Leo IX, known as Bruno von Eguisheim-Dagsburg was a native of Eguisheim, upper Alsace. The family to which he belonged was of noble rank, and his father, Count Hugo, was a relative of Emperor Conrad II (1024–39). He was educated at Toul, where he successively became canon (an ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council) and, in 1026, bishop. In the latter capacity he rendered important political services to his relative Conrad II, and afterwards to Emperor Henry III (1039–56). He became widely known as an earnest and reforming ecclesiastic by the zeal he showed in spreading the rule of the order of Cluny.
II His religious life
On the death of Pope Damasus II (1048), Bruno was selected as his successor by an assembly at Worms in December 1048. Both the Emperor and the Roman delegates concurred. However, Bruno apparently favored democracy as a means of Papal election, as he stipulated as a condition of his acceptance that he should first proceed to Rome and be freely elected by the voice of clergy and people. Setting out shortly after Christmas, he met with abbot Hugh of Cluny at Besançon, where he was joined by the young monk Hildebrand, who afterwards became Pope Gregory VII (1073–85); arriving in pilgrim garb at Rome in the following February, he was received with much cordiality, and at his consecration assumed the name of Leo IX.
Leo IX favored traditional morality in his reformation of the Catholic Church. One of his first public acts was to hold the well-known Easter synod of 1049, at which celibacy of the clergy (down to the rank of subdeacon) was required anew. Also, the Easter synod was where the Pope at least succeeded in making clear his own convictions against every kind of simony (the buying or selling of ecclesiastical pardons, offices or emoluments) . The greater part of the year that followed was occupied in one of those progresses through Italy, Germany and France which form a marked feature in Leo IX's pontificate. After presiding over a synod at Pavia, he joined Henry III in Saxony, and accompanied him to Cologne and Aachen; to Reims he also summoned a meeting of the higher clergy, by which several important reforming decrees were passed. At Mainz also he held a council, at which the Italian and French as well as the German clergy were represented, and ambassadors of the Greek emperor were present; here too simony and the marriage of the clergy were the principal matters dealt with.
After his return to Rome he held (April 29, 1050) another Easter synod, which was occupied largely with the controversy about the teachings of Berengar of Tours; in the same year he presided over provincial synods at Salerno, Siponto and Vercelli, and in September revisited his native Germany, returning to Rome in time for a third Easter synod, at which the question of the reordination of those who had been ordained by simonists was considered.
III His impact on History
After a fourth Easter synod in 1053 Leo IX set out against the Normans in the south with an army of Italians and German volunteers, but his forces suffered total defeat at the Battle of Civitate on June 15, 1053; on going out, however, from the city to meet the victorious enemy he was received with every token of submission, pleas for forgiveness and oaths of fidelity and homage. From June 1053 to March 1054 the Pope was nevertheless detained at Benevento in honourable captivity; he did not long survive his return to Rome, where he died on April 19, 1054.
Leo IX is most remembered as the Pope who sent the legatine mission, under Humbert of Mourmoutiers, cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida, which authored the bull excommunicating the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael I Cerularius (1043–59) in response to his actions concerning the church in Southern Italy. This act, combined with the Patriarch's own bull of excommunication against the Humbert and his associates, marks the official split between the Eastern and Western Churches in what is now called the Schism of 1054, the Great Schism, or the East-West Schism.
Thanks for having read us!
See you soon!
Sincerely yours,
Adeline and Morgane.
Pope Leo IX's reliquary in the chapel, which is said to contain part of his skull.
Hi !
We received your very interesting letter ! And we thank you for it ! Now it is our turn to present you a new topic. We will tell you about the Alsatian pope Leo IX...
Leo IX, Roman Catholic Pope from 1049 to 1054, was a native of Upper Alsace, where he was born on the 21st of June 1002. His real name was Bruno. The family to which he belonged was a noble family, and through his father he was related to Emperor Conrad II. He was educated to Toul, where he successively was declared a saint and bishop in 1026. Then he rendered important political services to his relative Conrad II, later to Henry III, and at the same time he became widely known as an earnest and reforming ecclesiastic by his determination in spreading the rule of the order of Cluny. After the death of Damasus II, Bruno was selected in December 1048, among the emperor and the Roman delegates, to become his successor by an assembly at Worms. However, he stipulated that he should first proceed to Rome and be canonically elected by the voice of clergy and people. Setting out shortly after Christmas, he had a meeting with abbot Hugo of Cluny at Besançon, where he was joined by the young monk Hildebrand, who afterwards became Pope Gregory VII. After his arrival in pilgrim garb at Rome in the following February, he was received with much cordiality, and at his consecration assumed the name of Leo IX. One of his first public acts was to hold the well-known Easter synod of 1049, at which celibacy of the clergy was enjoined again, and where he at least succeeded in making clear his own convictions against every kind of simony ( the ecclesiastical crime of paying for offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church ). The greater part of the following year was occupied in one of those progresses through Italy, Germany and France which become very important in Leo's pontificate. After presiding over a synod at Pavia, he joined Emperor Henry III , and accompanied him to Cologne , Aachen and to Reims where he also summoned a meeting of the higher clergy, by which several important reforming decrees were passed. At Mainz he also held a council, at which the Italian , French and German clergy were represented. Ambassadors of the Greek emperor were also present. Simony and the marriage of the clergy were the principal topics the meeting deals with. After his return to Rome in 1050 he held another Easter synod, which was occupied largely with the controversy about the teachings of Berengar of Tours .In the same year he resided over provincial synods at Salerno, Siponto and Vercelli. Later, he returned to Rome for a third Easter synod, at which the question of the reordination ordained by simonists was considered. In 1052 he joined the emperor at Pressburg, and vainly sought to secure the submission of the Hungarians; and at Regensburg, Bamberg and Worms the papal presence was marked by ecclesiastical solemnities. After a fourth Easter synod in 1053 Leo set out against the Normans in the south with an army composed of Italians and German volunteers. But his forces sustained a total defeat at Astagnum near Civitella the 18th of June 1053 . On going out from the city to meet the enemy he was received with every token of submission, relief from the pressure of his ban was implored and fidelity and homage were sworn. From June 1053 to March 1054 he was nevertheless detained at Benevento's jail; he did not long survive his return to Rome, where he died on the 19th of April 1054. He was succeeded by Pope Victor II.
To conclude we can say that Leo was kind, patient, humble : a true pope , a real saint.
The well decorated ceiling of the chapel. A part of the ceiling fresco. It depicts his life.
Eguisheim
Dear friends,
It is Camille and Elise writing to you. We are going to tell you about the history of Alsace in Leon IX century, the XIth century.
Leon IX was a native of Eguisheim, upper Alsace, named Bruno of Eguisheim- Dagsburg he was born in 1002 and died in 1054, what's more as he was pope from 1048 to 1054.
Alsace was belonging to the Holy Roman Empire, Saint Henri II, Conrad II and Henri III were the successive emperors between 1002 and 1056. During the XI century, two families held the political power. In the north, in the Nordgau, the count of Eguisheim, called count of Nordgau too, who was the father of Pope Leon IX, was in rivalry with the famous Habsbourg family called Count of Sundgau residing in their Ottmarsheim palace. Beside these two families, Alsacian bishops were really important; we can quote, Strasbourg bishops who were lords of Saverne, Molsheim, Benfeld, and Marckolsheim.
It's important to say that, because of the thirst of power of Lords and Counts, many wars took place in Alsace between 1000 and 1200. Even it is obvious that the power of Count of Eguisheim was the strongest in this country for a long time ( from the beginning of the XI century to 1225).
Religion was in the center of society, during that century, many abbeys were built financed by the counts families and bishops like the Erstein Abbey, Ebersmunster Abbey or Hohenbourg Abbey. And most territories were the property of the clergy. The IX century was the century of religion renewal; with a new organization, an apogee of abbeys and a new citizen's behaviour in relation with the evolution of religion.
Thanks to relative safety, the population doubled in the historical period. However most of the population were farmers or "slaves" (people depended on a lord or their area of work, it was really a widespread in the middle-ages). They were not always free because of the lord's powers. The practice of the barter was replaced with the appearance of money in villages and cities slowly developed with markets and fairs where farmers could sell and buy products. Nevertheless, the population didn't have any education and was illiterate.
We hope you have enjoyed our letter, faithfully yours.
Camille and Elise.
The most famous piegeon house in Alsace.
Hello, we are Olivier and Lucas, we are in Première S1. First, we want to thank you for your letter which was interesting. We are going to present you the most famous Alsatian village whose name is Eguisheim. This village is situated in Haut-Rhin near Colmar.
The name Eguisheim comes from the Latin name Egino. This name was frequent and corresponds to Egino, a descendant of Duke Aldaric.
Eberhard, Aldaric's grandson, third duke of Alsace, built the first castle of Eguisheim. The village developed around this castle as a fortified residence, approximately in 720.
Eguisheim is the native village of Bruno d'Eguisheim-Dagsbourg who became pope under the name of Leo IX. Beforehand, he was bishop of Toul from 1026 to 1051. He was born on June, 21st probably in the Haut-Eguisheim castle, five kilometres from Colmar. He was Hugues IV d'Eguisheim's son.
Eguisheim is related to Hautvillers and Aubusson in France, and to Îlot Sacré in Brussels and La Louvière in Belgium.
From 1962 to 1999, the population of Eguisheim grew from 1470 to 1548 inhabitants.
In Eguisheim, Saint-Peter and Saint-Paul's church was erect in 1220 over ancient foundations. This Gothic edifice is famous for its four floors tower which corresponds to the gothic period. The frame of the bell tower dates from the 17th century. This church has been demolished in 1807. Today, only the Romano-gothic tower remains. This church has yielded its place to an out of style construction. We still see there an ancient Roman fountain dating from the time of Leo IX according to the local tradition.
There's also Saint-Leo's Chapel which was built between 1888-1894. It's situated in the castle courtyard and it rests on the foundations of the donjon. We can see on one of its façades Leo IX's statue.
St-Leo's fountain is an octagonal fountain which is one of the most imposing in Alsace. Cattle came to water and inhabitants drew water there for household uses. A statue of St-Leo is established on top of this fountain. It has been sculpted by Hugel who came from Sélestat and established in 1842, funded by the Brucker family.
According to the legend, it is said that the reliquary of Eguisheim contains part of St-Leo's skull. In 1869 these relics are acknowledged as real relics. In 1880, the parish priest Andlauer of Eguisheim was authorized by the bishop of Strasbourg to obtain part of the skull which was moved to Eguisheim on 23rd December 1880. During St-Leo's celebration in 1881, the relic was exhibited for the first time to the public.
Charming houses of Eguisheim dating back to the Middle Ages.
Dear Friends,
We are Alexander and Bénédicte, two French students of Alsace. We are writing you a few lines in order to thank you for your interesting expose about bread in your region. Throughout this new letter, we are going to teach you more about Eguisheim, which is a famous town in our region.
Eguisheim is a typical Alsacian village, located in the south of Alsace. This area is well-known for its good wine, but this town is also very famous because of its history. Indeed, Pope St Leo IX was born there, and Eguisheim enjoys an international reputation.
Fortified in 1257, Eguisheim is proud of its picturesque and concentric narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses and rich floral decoration (French "4-flower" rating and National Grand Prix award holder since 1989 and European "Entente Florale" gold medal winner in 2006). Its fountains and church contribute to the historic personality of the village. The parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. Rebuilt in gothic style in 1220, the only surviving part of the original Roman Church is the belfry. The doorway of the Church houses a sculpture is called "the Opening Virgin". This work dating from 13th and 14th centuries is one of only two surviving examples in Alsace, the other being in Kaysersberg.
The lower castle of Eguisheim, on St-Leon square, is built against the distinctive 13th century octagonal ramparts of bossed stone. Five metres thick in places, the wall was originally surrounded by a water-filled moat. In 1835, this was drained and filled in. The castle is accessible only during the guiding tours organised by the Tourist Office.
A famous old saying in German meaning: "I only trust God".
Hi ! We received and read your mails with pleasure ! And it's with joy that we write this mail to you ! You certainly know the subject of our mails but we remind you of it : the theme is Pope Leon IX and more precisely the village where he was born and which is called Eguisheim.
It has a global reputation because of its link with the only Alsatian pope! Even more this fortified typical Alsatian village is one of the most beautiful of the French villages with its alleys and its houses flowery built with wonderful half-timbering.
This village is also well-known because of the wine which has been made since 800 years in the Alsatian tradition.
In the middle of this little village, there is a castle called "Le Chateau-Bas" or "Lower Castle" which made the town famous during the Middle Ages. This castle was built on a place which today is called Saint Leon's place just next to the chapel which will be built later .
For a long time it was thought that it was built during the eleventh or the twelfth century so that it could be the place where the pope was born but recent research contradict this legend by proving that it was built during the thirteenth century so after Saint Leon's life. In spite of this discovery the charm remains.
After the Eguisheim's reign who was the family of counts of which come the pope the castle's history became more eventful .
First it was the catholic leaders who keep possession of the castle for a very long time !
It was just during the French revolution that the castle became free but not for long: during this period people built houses everywhere around the castle and in 1877 ,a big fire destroyed all these houses and damaged the castle which stood in ruin for eight years until the Strasbourg's bishopric bought it in 1885. It was His Grace Stumpf's decision , and he wanted to build a chapel for the memory of Saint Leon the only Alsatian pope .
Near the castle, there is a little chapel called St Leo. This building, in Romanesque style, is dedicated to Bruno d'Eguisheim, also named Pope St Leo IX, born in 1002 in the family castle.
The chapel, built in 1894 on the Strasbourg's bishopric's initiative, takes the place of an old keep. This work has been led by Charles Winckler, a historical buildings' architect. St Leo Chapel has been decorated by Martin who painted seven scenes , in the eleventh century style, of the Pope's life. The stained glass windows symbolize the Alsatian saints of the Eguisheim's family.
As it is said in the legend, that chapel shelters Leo IX's relics, the first and the last Alsatian pope. Exposed in Lucille Abbey, the relics may have been transported to the Bouxwiller' church after the revolution. Then, part of the skull has been transferred to Eguisheim, thanks to the parish priest Andlauer. The public could see the relics for the first time in 1881, at Leo's Day.
Still nowadays, the chapel is visited by numerous tourists and many celebrations take place there.
We hope this crash course in history wasn't too boring.
We are looking forward to hearing from you. Bye
Thomas and Madeline
The old church of Eguisheim and a typical Alsatian house with its half-timbering.
The ramparts of the castle of Eguisheim dating back to the XIth century.
The three castles
Dear friends, We are going to indroduce you to an old village located in our darling region. It is called Eguisheim and what interested us especially are its three castles (in Le Haut-Eguisheim). The three castles are located above Eguisheim on a little mountain at 591m high. There are many ways to go there. They are currently named « The three castles of Eguisheim » or in German « Die drei Exemer Schloesser ».
I The north castle
It is called the Dagsbourg, and it's the one which was the most lofty of the three castles, and also was the latest one. This castle was a home for counts of Eguisheim who were the oldest Lords of Alsace. According to the chronicle of Ebersmunster, an Alsatian village, this building has its roots in count Eberhard's mind, himself founder of the Marbach Abbey. Even pope Leon IX would have consecrated a little chapel inside the wall of the Dagsbourg.
II The Wahlenbourg
This second castle is located between the others, on the top of the little mountain. The Wahlenbourg is the oldest one and has been well-known since 1006. It is said to have been assaulted very early, in 1026, by the duke of Souabe, Ernest de Souabe. He was still attacked in 1144 and in 1198. The Dagsbourg and the Wahlenbourg are surrounded by a long moat which was excavated in order to protect the castles. This one and the previous one are linked to the third one thanks to a drawbridge.
III The south castle
It is known as the Weckmund. This last one has been erected during the 18 th century and must have been built by duke Ulric De Vaudémont, Gérard D'Alsace's grandson. It represented the outpost in comparison to the others, and was used as an warning, a protection and a fortification for the Dagsbourg and the Wahlenbourg. Not far from the Weckmund was a round tower, called Nellenbourg. Its nickname was « la tour de l'oubli » or the fortress's jail. All these constructions, except the chapel, were destroyed in 1466, because of the war that the miller Hermann Klee caused against city of Mulhouse.
IV Legend
If we believe in an old legend, the three castles may have a magic source. The first one a source of fire, the second one a source of water and the third one a source of gold. On an other hand, the three towers might be considered as sundials for workers in the plain. At 11am the shadow covered completly the Dagsbourg, at 12 o'clock the Wahlenbourg and at 1pm the Weckmund. At 3 pm, the shadows of the three castles were just all right in front of them, on the mountain slope.
These three castles were destroyed several times and restored. Moreover, Eguisheim was besieged by emperor Adolphe de Nassau, but resisted. After that, the village was surrounded by a wall. In 1466, during the Last Six war, the Wahlenbourg and the Weckmund were destroyed by soldiers from Turckeim and from Kaysersberg. After a lot of conflicts, all the ennemies with the help of the city of Mulhouse burnt Eguisheim and its castles. They won't be built anymore and the castles were given up. To conclude we hope that you've been interested in such a story that we have been very proud to tell you because it's a part of the story of our nice region.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Kilian Wantzen, Jean Kau
Two of the three medieval castles overhanging Eguisheim, namely the Wahlenbourg and the Dagsbourg. In the foreground, the Wahlenbourg which is the oldest and the biggest one.
Dear all,
Hi, us again! Thank you for your email dealing with Italian bread, it was very interesting and instructive. It was good to hear from you. You know that we have to write a report on the Alsatian Pope who comes from Eguisheim. It's a little village, which is famous for its three medieval castles. We're sure you will enjoy such a topic (it's a little bit ironic and you're allowed to laugh out load) as it concerns our great past. Check this out…
Located at 591 meters on the Schlossberg hill and overlooking the Alsatian vineyard plain, the historical site of "Haut Eguisheim" is composed of three castles (see the picture opposite), namely the Wahlenbourg (in the middle), the Dagsbourg (in the north) and the Weckmund (in the south). Both date back from XIth to XIIIth centuries.
The Wahlenbourg (see the picture opposite) is the oldest one. It was edified at the beginning of the XIth century by Hugues IV of Eguisheim in order to protect the Benedictine monastery of Woffenheim that he had founded with his wife -Heilwige de Dabo-. What's also interesting to note is that Wahlenbourg meaning "Roman castle" refers to the Roman watchtower built in the IVth century. The edifice became rapidly the administrative headquarter and the main home of the Count's family. Indeed, at the top was the Count's residence, below was accomodation for family retainers and officers and at the bottom were barracks for soldiers and the stables. In 1026, it was partly destroyed by Duke Ernest of Swabia. Between 1049 and 1054, Hugues IV had the chapel of Saint Pancrasse built and would devote it to his son Brunon d'Eguisheim, also known as pope Leo IX since 1049. After the death of Henri Ist -pope Leo IX's nephew-, the Haut Eguisheim site was divided in three equitable parts: Count Hugues VI, Albert Ist of Dabo and Gerard IV's daughter (heir of the Eguisheim earldom, married Gerard Ist of Vaudémont whose name was Germanized into Weckmund) owned each one third of the castle.
Towards the second part of the XIIth century, Hugues VIII and Albert II of Dabo undertook some deep changes aiming to strengthen its defence; as a consequence they constructed the Dagsbourg keep to the North in 1144 (see the picture in the left hand corner), then the Weckmund one to the South (see the picture in the right hand corner). Situated at the outpost, the latter was used as a watchtower and a rampart. In 1197, Count Albert II played a great role in the movements of revolt led by the aristocratic families against Emperor Henri IV. For that reason, Philip of Swabia -the Emperor's brother- destroyed the three castles.
After the death of Albert II's daughter in 1225, the problem concerning the succession of the castles wasn't solved at all and left rather place to fierce stuggles... The Counts of Ferrette were the closest heirs. However, the Bishop of Strasbourg -Berthold of Teck- (who had already bought back the Dagsbourg from the "margraves of Bade") claimed the other part of Haut Eguisheim. It was obvious that the present situation was quite displeasing to the Counts of Ferrette; that's why they asked King Henry of Germany for support. Both entered into a pact granting the free disposal of the castles to the latter. On that occasion (1226-27), he built the siege tower in the lower yard to control and to prevent the Bishop from access to the castles. Far from being satisfied, Teck's troops invaded them and crushed the Ferrettes'ones during the Battle of Blodelsheim on June 1228. Finally, in 1251, a peace agreement signed by the Bishop of Strasbourg, Count Ulrich II and Henri of Stahleck put an end to the conflict: the Bishop retained the Dagsbourg and the Weckmund reverted to the Counts of Ferrette. While the Dagsbourg remained in the Bishop's hands, the Wahlenbourg and the Weckmund passed into the hands of many seigneurial families before becoming the lords of Hattstatt's property.
In June, during the war of the Six Oboles, the Wahlenbourg and the Weckmund were destroyed by the militia of Turckheim and Kaysersberg. As for the Dagsbourg, it wasn't completly devastated by the fire but was abandoned two centuries later. In fact, Herman Klée reclaimed his six deniers back to two millers of Mulhouse and found refuge in the Haut Eguisheim castles, which were at that time under Pierre of Reguisheim's protection. This disagreement actually gave rise to a real battle between the Alsatian nobility involved with Pierre of Reguisheim and the cities allied with Mulhouse. The latter besieged the castles and burnt them to the ground.
We hope you will retain something interesting about those castles. We're waiting for your email. If you want, we can exchange our MSN mail addresses, it would be fun…
That's all for now.
Kindest regards,
Koenig Clémence et Mathis Claire.
Vegas Deluxe
Académie
Commission Européenne - EEFA