The castle is first documented in 1147. It was set ablaze in 1462 and rebuilt from 1479 by the Counts of Thierstein with defenses suited to artillery. Swedish forces besieged it for 52 days in 1633, during the Thirty Years' War, and burned and looted it, and it was left unused for centuries.
The town of Sélestat bought it in 1865, and its remains were granted to Wilhelm II in 1899. Bodo Ebhardt, an expert on reconstructing medieval castles, restored it from 1900 to 1908, aiming for its condition on the eve of the Thirty Years' War. Wilhelm II encouraged changes with a Romantic, nationalist emphasis, including a higher roof on the main dining hall.
The keep is now estimated to be about 46 feet (14 m) too tall. The Bas-Rhin département has owned it since 2007, and it draws more than 500,000 visitors a year.
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