Baldern Castle

Baldern Castle
	Location of the castle
Creation time :	around 853
Castle type :	Unsafe location
Conservation status:	Burgstall
Geographical location	47 ° 18 '52.9 " N , 8 ° 30' 20.8" O Coordinates: 47 ° 18 '52.9 " N , 8 ° 30' 20.8" E ; CH1903: 680685 / 240974
Height:	810 m above sea level M.

The castle Baldern is a Burgstall in Stallikon in the Swiss canton of Zurich .

location

The Burgstall stands on the Albis ridge at around 810 m above sea level. M. , about four kilometers south of Uto Kulm , the summit plateau of the Uetliberg .

history

All knowledge about the Baldern comes from a few written sources and a legend. According to this, a defense system of King Ludwig the German stood there as early as 853 .

investment

A neck ditch can be seen in the north; Remnants of walls are no longer visible. A serious archaeological investigation has not yet taken place.

The legend of the shining deer

Ludwig's two daughters, Hildegard and Bertha, once lived on the Baldern. Every night the two pious women descended the dangerous road to Zurich to pray in a chapel there. So God sent them a stag with burning candles in its antlers. The animal always came up to them at a certain point, accompanied them, waited while they prayed and brought them home safely. The sisters wanted to build a place of worship where the deer was waiting.

The king heard about his daughters' nocturnal activity. One night he followed them and witnessed the miracle. He called the two over and explored their minds. However, he did not like the place where his daughters wanted church. The daughters asked for a sign from God. God sent a green rope down from heaven to that place. Then the king realized that his daughters had been right and founded a monastery there for noble women, today's Fraumünster .

Neck moat in the north of the castle hill
Plaque
Castle hill from the east
Representation of the legend; Fresco by Paul Bodmer in the former cloister of the Fraumünster

Web links

Commons : Baldern Castle - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Martin Illi: Baldern. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Burgenwelt: Baldern Castle