Hohenberg (Wasgau)

The Hohenberg is a high hill in the Palatinate Forest, in the municipalities of Birkweiler, Queichhambach and Siebeldingen. At its summit is an observation tower, a refuge hut and starting ramps for hang gliders.Observation towerOn the site of the present-day observation tower a telegraph station was erected during the French Revolution in 1794, one of a chain of such stations from Paris via Metz to Landau. The station was abandoned following the transfer of Electoral Palatinate to Bavaria in May 1816.From August to September 1879 an observation tower, just under 9 metres high, was erected at the summit by the conservation societies of Annweiler and Landau. It was built as a cone-shaped pyramid using dry mortarless construction. The core of the tower was mostly made of rubble. A staircase led up the western side of the tower to the viewing platform on the top. In the 1960s the first stones worked loose as a result of age and in 1970 the eastern side of the tower collapsed. In 1971, DM 30,000 was invested in the building of an access track for motor vehicles and the rebuilding of the tower.In 2002 the observation tower collapsed again. A construction site fence prevents access to the tower remains. Restoration costs are estimated at € 120,000. The municipality is trying to obtain EU funding.