The Haut-Koenigsbourg Scientific Committee

L'escalier néogothique au château du Haut-Koenigsbourg - Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, Alsace, France

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.

L'escalier néogothique au château du Haut-Koenigsbourg - Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, Alsace, France

Eco-friendly action

The preservation and the promotion of local heritage are two key aspects of the role played by the château du Haut-Koenigsbourg as a site of historical and cultural importance and as a tourist attraction. The building and restoration work that is currently going on in the castle, the policy papers (Projet de monument - the long term strategy for the castle) and the wealth of cultural and artistic events held here offer concrete proof of this. The site's natural heritage and accessibility issues are also being examined by the Conseil Général du Bas-Rhin.

Meeting the challenge of sustainable development:  

- the environmental aspect: to take pre-emptive action against any potentially harmful environmental impacts upon the surrounding area, whilst simultaneously working to make gardens, woodland areas, the castle site and the castle's collections more appealing to the public

- the financial aspect: increase the site's appeal to the general public

- the social and cultural aspects: making cultural events as accessible to as wide a range of people as possible and promoting diversity in general