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History of the KAGENFELS

It is during a period without any governement, when a war between Walter von Gerolsek, bishop of Strasbourg and his town took place that, in 1262, one episcopalian called Albrecht Kage began with my building .
I'am a little strong castle that has been built at the bottom of the Forest from Obernai on imperial grounds.
My existence was unclear until it was officializied by  Rodolphe von Habsbourg in 1289.
We do not yet, how long I was owned by the family Kagen, but it is known that I feel to the hand of Friedrich de Stahel  von Westhoffen and Albrecht von Schoenau at the end of the XIVe Century.
Later on, that is to say, around 1393   the co-ownership between, the brothers Klaus and Kuno von Neuviller, Hesso Heintsvon Ebenheim and Friedrich de Stahel von Westhoffen.
1424 I became fief of the bishop of Strasbourg.
What schould be known about my story is that I was subject to 4 sieges within only 40 years ( 1383 1390, 1397, 1424)
Excavations  have confirmed the  use of siege cannons of various calibre within my walls  ( peaces of spherical balls of sandstone have been found ).
Thoses cannons were probably used during the siege of 1424 which unified the forces of Wilhelm von Dienst, bishop of Strasbourg, and Ludwig von Lichtenberg before my walls.
An accidental fire  caused by careless servants who were taking a bath destroyed me in 1426.
It is in a pitiful state that I fall later in the hand of Heinrich von Hohenstein, vidame of the bishop of Strasbourg, who began with so important work of reconstruction that the building of an sawmill was nedded near to me .
After the death of Heinrich in 1451 and until 1774 at least it is his son Anton that occasionaly leaved here.
Like my well-kown brother  the Haut-Koenigsbourg  I was used as departure base to various robbery operations.
In 1474 9 inhabitants of Obernai were stopped and made prisoners into my tower  by Anton  who took also their horses.
At an exactly unkown time, I became the ownership of the family Uttenheim zu Ramstein who revised  my building in order to adapt it on artillery.
I was sold in 1559 to Lucas von Visbock said « Zeck », one important person of the lordship of VILLE fitted out in my lodginghouse and gave me my name «  zu Kagenfels ».
He began then with the construction of buildings that were used for various economical aim.
Finally he sold me and with all my grounds and dependances to OBERNAI.
Even if I was partly destroyed, some documents attest that  I did accomadate people until 1554, when in fact a barn was built by the carpenter of Obernai.
I Have probably been desserted during the 30 years war ( 1618 – 1648).
I am mentionned as to be destroyed in 1164 and deserted around 1684 and this because like many other stong castels I was located in the mountain and through the fact that only a heap of stone stayed.
Little by little all about my story was forgotten even my name.
It is J.G Schweighauser that 1828 identified my ruins as being thoses of the Kagenfels.
I was kown as a «  little » castel. But nowadays, I reveal my real dimensions.
All elements that were finded shows the efforts that my successive owner made to  modernize me in a large way, whereas my lodging house was one of the smallest of Alsace.
The importance of the defensive buildings is dispropotionate when we compared it to my lodging house which stayed relatively narrow and this even if it has been elevated.
This importance of  defensives devices  must not make forget that I also was one relatively confortable house even t I was small and isolated.
My lodging house was in fact composed with a private chaptel and exavation allowed us to find  one  exceptionnal fragment of ceramic coming from a stove.
Theses elements proves that I  was sometimes   occupied by very important people , who found here the support and the confinment they needed for answering their various ambitions.