In the 1980s, once again, the overall reconstruction of the castle, the redesigning of the Schlossplatz and the new construction of the museum opened up possibilities for the archaeological exploration of the structural developments on the schlossfelsen (castle rock).

In 1983, diggings during excavation work for an outbuilding housing technical equipment between the south wing and the Talstrasse brought some impressive finds to light: the south-east bastion, the so-called Red Tower, and a wall that had been part of the fortifications.

The preliminary stages of the new museum construction revealed parts of a wall adjoining the south-west bastion. During the renovations on the Schlossplatz, several items that had been exposed in the 1930s were now exposed again; among them the mediaeval main tower.

This time too, the excavations were subject to a time limit, and most of the architectural finds were soon covered over again. However, the discovery of the south-east bastion and the Red Tower caused the buildings on the south wing of the castle to be replanned. The aim was to make these finds accessible to a wider public and have them actually become part of the Historisches Museum Saar.