A colossal worksite

As soon as Wilhelm II acquired Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, work began. The emperor wanted to completely rebuild the fortress as it stood in the 15th century and commissioned the architect-historian Bodo Ebhardt to carry out the work.

From 1900 onwards, major excavation work preceded the restoration work, and a vast campaign of photographic surveys was carried out.
This campaign continued throughout the restoration work.

The foundation stone for the restoration of Haut-Koenigsbourg castle was laid in 1901. The keep was the first element to be restored. Its reconstruction symbolised the power of its new owner and, in a very practical way, enabled the stones to be removed from the ground.
From then on, the first harsh criticism rained down.
In 1906, the imperial eagle was installed at the top of the keep. The work was due to be completed by this date, but problems with cracks in the walls considerably slowed it down. Additional funding was also required.

Two years later, on 13 May 1908, in the presence of William II and numerous officials, the castle was inaugurated with a grand historical parade.

The taking of possession of the castle by the Sickingens in 1533 was re-enacted, by which time the castle was in a state fairly close to that found by Bodo Ebhardt.
Five hundred extras in period costume parade solemnly... under the rain!

The speed with which this work was carried out was largely due to the modern techniques employed in the early 20th century.

From 1901, a pumping station was built below the castle. Powered by a petrol engine, it provided running water for both machines and people. It remained in use until 2013.

A quarry was opened a hundred metres from the site, at Oedenburg.

A steam locomotive, named ‘Hilda’ by the team of locksmiths who maintained it, went into service in January 1902.
It hauled the stones from the castle's quarry. Thirty horses were needed to pull its 5 tonnes from Sélestat station to the Haut-Koenigsbourg fortress.

A sandstone crusher, powered by a steam engine, was used to produce the sand needed for the project.

Two mechanical cranes were installed in 1901.  
One ran on rails over the upper garden, while the other was installed inside the keep. They were electrified in 1902 using a transportable steam engine known as a ‘locomobile’.

Thanks to this technique, the worksite was also illuminated, whereas the villages at the foot of the fortified castle did not have electricity until after the First World War.

Most of the workers and foremen were recruited from the surrounding villages, either through advertisements or by recommendation.

A few German journeymen completed the workforce, particularly the carpenters. Local people therefore played a key role in the castle's restoration.

The workmen were responsible for the structural work (excavation, scaffolding, stone cutting, etc.) and the manufacture of wooden components (shutters, galleries, framework, etc.). The timber is supplied by local sawmills.

Specialised work in plumbing, gutters and copper components, as well as arts and crafts (manufacture of ceramic stoves, plaster models for sculptors, etc.) are outsourced to external companies, most of them German.

A wide range of trades were represented: quarrymen, stone masons, bricklayers, machinists, locksmiths, carpenters, blacksmiths, as well as an innkeeper and a canteen maid. A bistro, canteen and dormitories were set up on the site for the workers, as the son of the carpenters' foreman recounts:

‘The weekly working rhythm was six times ten hours. Workers and employees had the possibility of eating in the canteen and sleeping in dormitories.
Generally speaking, all the workers took advantage of these benefits and only returned home on Saturdays, on foot of course, as there was no other means of transportation. The round trip took three hours.'

Quote from Chronique d'une famille alsacienne by H. BRENNER, son of foreman Henri BRENNER, late 20th century.

However, these facilities did not mean that the workforce was the same throughout the year: according to the records of contributions paid in Sélestat, the number of workers rose from 30 to over 200 over the course of the seasons!

Charles Dickely and the canteen worker Rosalie Gassmann were paid on a monthly basis. Following a strike in May 1902, the quarrymen were paid by the job (i.e. the number of stones cut), while all other workers were paid by the hour, every fortnight.

They also benefited from pension funds and sickness and invalidity insurance. From 1904, compensation was also paid to injured workers and their widows. These benefits were deducted from the entrance fee introduced that same year. The castle remained open throughout the works. The entrance fee compensated the workers for the time they spent welcoming visitors, who were becoming more and more numerous.