Seeking to assert his legitimacy as Emperor of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered the complete renovation of the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle in 1900. The work lasted eight years, until the inauguration of the brand new fortress, under heavy rain but with great pomp. Berliner architect Bodo Ebhardt, in charge of the reconstruction, studied the medieval drawings of the castle to remain as accurate as possible. He also had the ceramic tiles recovered from the scree at the foot of the collapsed walls. They used to cover the massive, typical stoves of the region.