Emperor Wilhelm II wished to facilitate the integration of Alsace-Moselle into the German Empire. He needed a powerful symbol and decided the reconstruction of the Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle. The fortress is, indeed, an emblem of medieval Alsace at the time of its membership within the Holy Roman Empire. The renovated castle was inaugurated on May 13, 1908, but the finishing touches and collection purchases continued long after. For Kaiser Wilhelm II, Haut-Kœnigsbourg marked the western limit of its empire, as the castle of Marienburg, today in Poland, marked the eastern one.