Welcome in Walschbronn

Weckersburg Castle

Location of the site

The castle is built on the western slope of the Schankenberg hill. The site does not appear to be very favourable: although the slope is steep to the south and west, it is dominated by the rest of the mountain to the north. Nevertheless, it is a genuine fortified castle, i.e. a fortified residence of the nobility adapted to the use of artillery. It is located at the crossroads of two routes; its role is to control the road between Bitche and Pirmasens.

Walschbronn or Weckersbourg ?

The origin of the castle is based on two versions. The first is that it was built in 1490 by Earl Simon Wecker of Deux-Ponts-Bitche († 1495). The second version is that it was built between 1520 and 1540 by Earl George Wecker of Zweibrücken-Bitche and Ochsenstein († 1559). Called " Waldsborn " or " Walsspurn " in ancient spring, it was nicknamed " Weckersburg " in the second half of the 19th century.

Its desertion

In 1541, the castle was inherited by Jacques de Deux-Ponts-Bitche († 1570), but he had little interest in it and no longer maintained it. He also abandoned the thermal springs (" Badehaus und Bad "), even though they were still renowned at that time. In 1577, the castle was in a sad state: the roofs began to rot. The following year, all its wooden elements were sold, the site fell into disrepair.

A rebuilding ?

Around 1744, the French authorities planned to rehabilitate the castle to make it a defensive and observation post at the entrance to the valley which gave access to the Bitche region from the nearby Palatinate. In particular, the aim was to "prevent the exit of grain and smuggling through this part of the valley". It was felt that, once it was rehabilitated, it could not be conquered without cannons. But the site was not rehabilitated and its stones were used for the construction of houses and the surrounding wall of the cemetery.

The remains

The visible remains, which have now been repaired, consist of two large circular towers used for artillery purposes and the lower part of a seigneurial dwelling in the shape of a horseshoe. The site having been largely flattened to the north-east and east, the old ditch is no longer visible.

According to a plan of 1758, the entrance to the castle was located in the north-east corner. It was flanked by a small building attached to the northern wall. To the north-west, the surrounding wall is still well preserved. The plan of 1758 shows that a building was attached to it. It is connected to a circular flanking tower. The three openings are suitable for the use of light firearms, such as the Handbüchsen and Hackenbüchsen. The one to the north-east is blocked by the fact that the original circulation level has been covered by earth. In 1828, an upper level remained, which was clearly also equipped with cannons.

Kept in the municipal archives of Sarreguemines, this naive drawing, dated 1828 and signed Chenot, gives a view of the village that has changed considerably since the Second World War. The church stands amidst large multi-storey houses, some of which have preserved the timber panelling on the gable walls; in the background, the still imposing ruins of the castle (Le pays de Bitche, images du patrimoine, Marie-France Jacops, Jacques Guillaume, Didier Hemmert, Metz, 1990, page 132).

Further west is a second circular flanking tower. Its lower level is pierced by three firing openings, also suitable for the use of couleuvrines. According to the plan of 1758, a building was attached to the neighbouring rampart.

A large horseshoe-shaped dwelling (11.20 x 8m) occupies the southern end of the site. Only the base remains, except for the south-western corner, which retains a height of two storeys. It is accessed through a doorway on the west side. To the right as you enter, at the south-west corner, is a firing niche. It has a narrow, rectangular firing opening for the use of light firearms. A similar, less well-preserved niche can be seen on the opposite wall. Two other niches can be seen on the upper level, in the rounding of the house. The southern façade retains the remains of two large windows. The trace of another window can be seen on the second floor. Opposite the entrance, in the eastern wall, is the site of a fireplace.

For more information

• Pfälzisches Burgenlexikon, Bd. IV/2, Kaiserslautern, 2007, p.200-211
• RUDRAUF Jean-Michel, « Walschbronn. Le dernier et éphémère château des comtes de Deux-Ponts-Bitche », La Revue du Pays de Bitche n°12, 2011, p.50-58