Haut-Koenigsbourg castle could have known the same fate as its neighbors, which are nothing more than ruins. But it was given as a gift to German Emperor Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern in 1899. He had the idea of using Haut-Koenigsbourg as a demonstration of German power by turning it into a museum. He entrusted the complete restoration of the fortress to the German architect and historian Bodo Ebhard. He based his work on the foundations of the old buildings. Despite some differences that raised controversies, the restoration completed in 1908 gave the castle an appearance close to the one it supposedly had in the 16th century.