The Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin became the owner of the château du Haut-Koenigsbourg in January 2007 as part of a general move to decentralize the ownership of state-owned heritage sites. The Conseil wanted the château to have its own working group made up of the best experts in their respective fields gathered together into the 'Haut-Koenigsbourg Scientific Committee'. The committee's aims are to:
- improve our knowledge and understanding of the château, filling in the 'gaps' that still exist in certain areas,
- suggest topics for research relating to the château and its surrounding environment and offer support for this research work
- transmit this knowledge and understanding to a wide range of audiences which will include experts but above all young people, families and those with a general interest in history.
One short-term objective is to produce a series of publications on specific themes connected with the château. These will deal with subjects on which little has been written and published up to now, as well as taking a new look at better-known topics.
It is also the job of the Haut-Koenigsbourg Scientific Committee to offer advice and guidance relating to building work, restoration work and any other projects that relate to the château and the task of promoting a wider knowledge of the château, if so requested by the château du Haut-Koenigsbourg and the Conseil Départemental.