The Château de Lichtenberg is first mentioned in 1206, as home to the Lords of Lichtenberg. The Lichtenberg line passed to the Hanau family, who became the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg.
In the late 16th century, Phillip IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg hired Daniel Specklin, who had designed the fortifications of Strasbourg, to turn the castle into a fortress to use and protect against a new weapon, cannons. In 1678, the castle capitulated to French troops after an eight-day siege. Like most of the castles in the Alsace region, it came under the control of the Kingdom of France.
On 7–9 August 1870, during the course of the Franco-Prussian War, the Château de Lichtenberg was bombarded by artillery of Württemberg troops. A large fire broke out on the evening of 9 August, which destroyed much of the castle and forced its capitulation. In May 1871, the surrounding region was transferred to the newly formed German Empire.
From 1996, two architects, Andrea Bruno and Jean Pierre Laubal, led a long campaign of work to restore the old parts and to create a new space for cultural activities, shows and exhibitions. The castle is owned by the commune of Lichtenberg and is run by the Pays de la Petite-Pierre community of communes.
References:Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.