La Petite-Pierre - Château de Lützelstein

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it.

In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz.

After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians.

Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth.