Helfenberg Castle (Thurgau)

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Helfenberg Castle
View from the east

View from the east

Creation time : 13th Century
Conservation status: ruin
Place: Uerschhausen
Geographical location 47 ° 36 '40 "  N , 8 ° 50' 3"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 36 '40 "  N , 8 ° 50' 3"  E ; CH1903:  704 926  /  274314

The ruins of the medieval Helfenberg Castle are in the Thurgau municipality of Hüttwilen near the village of Uerschhausen . It is first mentioned in the chronicle of Christian Kuchimeister in 1331 .

location

The ruins of Helfenberg are 449  m above sea level. M. on a prominent hilltop that rises 15 meters above today's shores of the Hüttwilersee . The complex was easy to defend due to the once swampy environment. Access to the interior is now via a newly laid staircase on the south side.

history

The builders of the Helfenberg plant are not known. In 1980 the Office for Archeology of the Canton of Thurgau carried out a small excavation in the north-western corner of the building. A few pot shards and an oval bronze buckle were found under a thick layer of fire rubble. Some of these finds date from around 1200.

A first simple castle probably consisted of a wall square of 23 × 27 meters, which was later divided into two by a wall. The walls, which are up to two meters strong, consist of a coarse core and carefully assembled wall shells. Windows and gates were bordered with blocks of tuff .

The rule of Helfenberg, a fiefdom of the prince abbey of St. Gallen , was owned by the Knights of Schwandegg . In 1412 it came to Hans von Münchwil with other goods in Uerschhausen. At that time, the chronicles only speak of a castle stables , apparently the castle was no longer or only partially habitable. Around 1500 the plant came into the possession of the von Landenberg | Hohenlandenberg., 1622 to the then community of Uerschhausen. This kept it until the 19th century, then sold the ruin to private customers. In 1978 the walls were taken over by the last owners from the Canton of Thurgau for a symbolic price of one franc. In 1981/82 and 2010/11 the ruins were secured and renovated.

  • At sight

  • Access

  • East wing

  • Separation wall

  • around 1830,
    after JF Wagner

Web links

Commons : Burg Helfenberg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ burgenwelt.org
  2. ↑ Information board on site