The wine-growing village of Orschwiller extends on the border between Lower and Upper-Rhine. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it was subservient to the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, which overlooks it. The village suffered the consequences of robberies, internal wars, and international conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War. Its inhabitants frequently fled to seek refuge inside the fortress. In 1517 Maximilian I of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor, bought Orschwiller. The village changed owners numerous times until it fell into the hands of the Fugger family in the 17th century.