A moated castle in the hunting grounds of Frederick the One-Eyed, Duke of Swabia, was the foundation of the present town. At the beginning of the 12th century Frederick's son, who went down in history under the name Barbarossa, converted the castle to a palace. Finally he gave the village that he had chosen as his favourite a town charter. Haguenau today is one of the largest towns in Alsace but owing to its position in the forest it is a town full of green spaces.