Castle type: hilltop castle, hilltop location
Today: only remains of ruins
Date of origin: before 1064, first documented mention in 1259
Not much is known for sure about the beginning of the castle complex on the Schlossberg. However, castles are said to have existed as early as 1064 when Achkarren was first mentioned in writing on the occasion of the transfer to the Ottmarsheim monastery by King Heinrich IV. These were then expanded several times in the following centuries. After the family castle of the Lords of Üsenberg, Üsenberg Castle on the Üsenberg near Breisach, was probably destroyed by the Breisach family in the 1240s, they are said to have made Höhingen Castle available to the Üsenbergers as a replacement.
It was first explicitly mentioned in writing in 1259. Around 1353 the castle was briefly pledged to the Schnewlin im Hof.
In 1392, Margrave Hesso von Hachberg bought Werner von Hornberg's share in Höhingen Castle, and he already owned the other part.
In 1415 the castle, together with the Margraviate of Baden-Hachberg, came to Margrave Bernhard I of Baden, who bought it from Margrave Otto II of Hachberg, the last of this branch of Baden. Otto was allowed to use Höhingen Castle until the end of his life in 1418.
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After centuries of existence, the castle itself was burned down for the first time in May 1525 during the peasant uprising with the participation of Achkarr farmers. This made Höhingen Castle one of only two margravial castles destroyed by the peasants, although a number of them had been occupied by the peasants.
Long-standing disputes between the village of Achkarren and the Margraves over the use of the forest are suspected to be the motive.
The farmers later had to compensate Margrave Ernst I of Baden-Durlach for the damage.
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In 1620, Margrave Georg Friedrich von Baden-Durlach rebuilt the castle as a defensive structure and put it into a state of defense, since the events of the war in the Rhine Valley and the Breisach Fortress could be observed well from here.
In a contemporary report from the mayor of Breisach to the imperial governor of the Austrian provinces in Waldshut, Höhingen Castle, often referred to as a castle, is described as follows:
“Its position was excellent, as it stood in the middle of the mountain's crest on hard rock, which because of its height had difficult access, and could not be commanded from any of the surrounding places. The building was surrounded by strong masonry, on the one hand with a deep ditch, on the other hand it encountered an inaccessible praecipitium [= abyss], which is used from below for a stone pit. The castle had a good cistern.”
In 1633 there was an attack from Breisach. The Imperial Catholic troops captured and sacked the castle currently held by the Swedes and supported by the Protestants of Ihring. According to records at the time, the spoils included around 15,000 liters of wine. Property of Ihringen citizens stored in the castle was also lost. There are even reports of the loss of 200 horses and 300 head of cattle, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the dimensions of the facility.
After several subsequent disputes about the castle, it was finally set on fire by the now imperial garrison in 1638, when it could no longer be held militarily.
(Excerpt from Wikipedia)