Lenzburg Castle

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Lenzburg Castle
Lenzburg Castle, seen from the southeast

Lenzburg Castle, seen from the southeast

Creation time : before 1036
Castle type : Hilltop castle
Conservation status: receive
Place: Lenzburg
Geographical location 47 ° 23 '14.6 "  N , 8 ° 11' 7.7"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 23 '14.6 "  N , 8 ° 11' 7.7"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred and fifty-six thousand three hundred and ninety-two  /  248774
Height: 508  m above sea level M.
Lenzburg Castle (Canton Aargau)
Lenzburg Castle

The Lenzburg Castle is located above the old town of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau . It is one of the oldest and most important hilltop castles in Switzerland . The facility stands on the 508 meter high Schlossberg, an almost circular molasse hill , which rises around a hundred meters above the surrounding plain. The name of the castle comes from the Counts of Lenzburg , who probably had their ancestral seat built on the hill in the early 11th century. From 1173 the castle was owned by the Hohenstaufen , from around 1230 by the Kyburger and from 1273 by the Habsburgs . After the conquest of Aargau by the city ​​of Bern in 1415, the castle served as the seat of the Bernese bailiffs for over three and a half centuries until it came into the possession of the canton of Aargau in 1804. It then housed an educational institute and was privately owned from 1860. In 1956, a foundation supported by the canton and the city of Lenzburg bought the castle from the widow of the American polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and made it accessible to the public.

The facility at the top of the hill is surrounded by a curtain wall and consists of seven buildings that were built between the 12th and the early 18th centuries. They are arranged in a horseshoe shape around an inner courtyard. The Gothic and Baroque architectural styles are predominant . After the completion of a comprehensive renovation, the castle has been the seat of the Aargau Historical Museum since 1987, which in turn has been part of the Aargau Museum Association since 2007 . The living culture of the former castle residents, the historical collections of the canton of Aargau and temporary exhibitions on art and cultural history are presented. A foundation supported by the canton and the city of Lenzburg is responsible for maintenance. Another foundation and an association organize numerous events.

Schlossberg

The castle is located immediately east of the old town of Lenzburg on the flattened top of the Schlossberg ( 508  m above sea level ). This rises around a hundred meters above the level of the lower Seetal , but its diameter is just under 250 meters. The striking hill is surrounded by flat terrain in the north, west and south. In the east it drops to a 460 meter high saddle that separates it from the neighboring and almost equally high Goffersberg ( 507  m above sea level ). From a geological point of view, both surveys are examples of molasses - round humps, which are rare in Switzerland . The Schlossberg consists at its base of horizontally lying, relatively easily weathered marls and soft sandstones of the lower freshwater molasse . In the uppermost area it consists of hard shell sandstone of the upper sea molasse, whereby the rock is partly overhanging. The hill got its shape during the crack ice age .

history

prehistory

Aerial view of the castle

The Schlossberg could have served as a settlement in prehistoric times. In 1959, during construction work for a water reservoir on the saddle between Schlossberg and Goffersberg, one of the largest burial grounds in Switzerland from the Neolithic period (approx. 3000 BC) was discovered. Investigations by the Aargau cantonal archeology between 1981 and 1986 uncovered a layer of culture that was up to 2.5 m thick and extended over the entire castle area. The dating of structural remains remains uncertain. It was only possible to find evidence of a prehistoric hearth, a Roman brick fill and a high mediaeval wooden house from the 11th century. The oldest artifacts are an indeterminate device made of flint and a fragmented stone ax , both from the Neolithic Age. Numerous ceramic finds indicate a settlement during the Bronze Age . The Roman finds date from the 1st and 2nd centuries and are related to the neighboring vicus Lindfeld . A high altitude sanctuary may have existed here .

A legend tells that a dragon once lived in a cave on the Schlossberg . This was defeated by two knights, Wolfram and Guntram. The grateful farmers elected the two Counts of Lenzburg and gave them permission to build a castle on the Drachenfelsen .

Aristocratic rule

View from the north
View of the city and Lenzburg Castle by Matthäus Merian , around 1642

The first definitely verifiable member of the Lenzburg family is Ulrich I, also known as "the rich". He was Imperial Bailiff of Zurich and Castvogt of the Beromünster and Schänis Abbeys . A document from 1036 describes him as Count in Aargau. The first reliable knowledge about the existence of a castle dates back to 1077: Ulrich III, his grandson, sided with the German King Heinrich IV in the investiture dispute and held two papal legates for half a year . At that time, the Counts of Lenzburg were among the most important feudal lords in the Swiss Plateau and maintained close relationships with the respective German rulers.

The noble family died out in 1173. Ulrich IV., The last Count of Lenzburg, designated Emperor Friedrich I ("Barbarossa") as his personal heir in his will . They had been friends and had once gone to the Second Crusade together . The emperor personally arranged the distribution of the inheritance at Lenzburg Castle and awarded a large part of the land to his son, Count Palatine Otto I of Burgundy . After Otto's death in 1200, the Staufers were ousted from Aargau. Lenzburg came to the Kyburgers by marriage around 1230 through two closely related high nobility families ( Andechs-Meranien and Chalon ) . At that time they founded a fortified market settlement at the western foot of the Schlossberg, today's city of Lenzburg .

Hartmann IV., The last Count of Kyburg, died in 1264 without male descendants. Rudolf I , Count von Habsburg and later German King, took over the guardianship of the underage heiress Anna von Kyburg, which also included the administration of the dominion. Anna later married Rudolf's cousin Eberhard I von Habsburg-Laufenburg . In 1273 Rudolf bought the property from his impoverished relative for 14,000 silver marks. Two years later he held a farm day on the Lenzburg . Various dukes of Austria and their officials ruled from here. However, the castle sank to a regional administrative seat when the power of the Habsburgs shifted more and more to Austria . Duke Friedrich II of Habsburg lived in the castle from 1339. Here his wedding to Joan, daughter of the English King Edward III. , occur. For this purpose he had the knight's house built. The duke died in 1344 without ever having seen his future bride. The work on the knight's house remained unfinished.

The Ribi-Schultheiss family, originally from Seengen , who had risen from the peasantry to the lower nobility, was in possession of the castle feud from 1369 . In 1375 the castle withstood a siege by the Guglers .

Bernese rule

Bird's eye view in 1624
Fortress project from 1628

The latent tensions between the German King Sigismund and the Austrian Duke Friedrich IV erupted in 1415 at the Council of Constance , when Friedrich was one of the three then reigning Popes, Johannes XXIII. , helped to escape the city. Sigismund saw in this an opportunity to harm his adversary. On March 30, 1415, he asked the neighbors of the Habsburgs to take their lands in the name of the empire. Bern did not take long and conquered the western part of the Aargau (the Bernese Aargau later known as this ). On April 20, the city of Lenzburg immediately surrendered to the advancing army, but the castle remained untouched for the time being. Konrad von Weinsberg , the royal governor, tried to secure the castle for the empire and had it equipped for a siege. But already in August he abandoned this hopeless plan and in 1418 handed the castle back to the Ribi-Schultheiss family. After long negotiations, in 1433 Bern was able to acquire the lower rulership rights over the County of Lenzburg and in 1442 also the castle.

1444 moved to the castle, the first Bernese bailiff one who administered from here the supreme office Lenzburg. This included the Seetal , the Wynental and the Suhrental . The duties of the provincial bailiffs included the collection of taxes, the enforcement of administrative measures, judicial and police powers and the military authority. They were also responsible for maintaining the castle. The bailiffs were elected for four years from the ranks of the city council of Bern. The best known was Adrian I von Bubenberg from 1457 to 1461 , later mayor of Bern and hero of the battle of Murten . Extensive work was carried out in 1509 and 1510; so the knight's house, begun in 1339, was partly demolished and rebuilt. A major fire raged in 1518, although it is not known which houses were destroyed in the process (most likely the «Aarburghaus» on the north side). In 1520 the bailiff was given a new home, the “bailiff”.

After the Reformation was introduced in Bern in 1528 , the strategic importance of the Lenzburg increased, as the castle was close to the confessional border and attacks by the Catholic Lucerne by the free offices were feared. During the First Kappel War of 1529 and the Second Kappel War two years later, the castle served as the base of operations for the Reformed. After that, it had the function of an important border fortress, as the nearby crossings over the Reuss could be controlled from here .

In 1624 Joseph Plepp drew the first exact representations and floor plans of the castle, which at that time looked more like a fortified farm on behalf of fortress engineer Valentin Friderich . Plepp's plans served as the basis for modernizing the fortifications. In view of the Thirty Years' War , which had been raging since 1618 , Bern felt compelled to make the Lenzburg suitable for artillery. As a first measure, in 1625, an upstream double gate system with a kennel was built on the north side , the earthfills on the east and south sides were increased. In 1628 Friderich planned to build several bastions , but the project could not be carried out due to lack of funds. A redimensioned project by Niklaus Willading, on the other hand, came about when an eleven meter high wall was raised between 1642 and 1646. The resulting eastern bastion, however, had one major disadvantage: rainwater seeped through the adjacent walls and made the Landvogtei uninhabitable due to constant moisture. For this reason, a new bailiwick was built in the north wing between 1672 and 1674.

In the 18th century, the Bernese expanded the castle into a large grain store. For this purpose, the "rear house" received an additional wing in 1705/07. In 1728/29 the tower and the knight's house were combined. In 1758 the knight's house was given five intermediate floors for maximum space utilization as well as additional portholes and windows for better ventilation. With these measures, over 5000 tons of grain could be stored. In March 1798, Viktor von Wattenwyl, the last Bernese bailiff, handed the castle over to the advancing French troops when the previous political order collapsed. The castle served as a military hospital for a few months before the sick soldiers were moved to Königsfelden .

Lease and private property

The canton of Aargau , founded in 1803, came into possession of the castle on June 5, 1804. The cantonal authorities were not sure how the facility should be used. There was a lack of money for maintenance, and there was also no specific purpose. Use for government purposes was out of the question for this symbol of subject rule, so that the castle was vacant for over two decades. In 1810, the organ builder Johannes Heinrich Speissegger from Schaffhausen wanted to lease part of the castle, but the cantonal government refused. In 1818 it was planned to set up the Federal Central Military School here. This project did not materialize, nor was the establishment of a cantonal teachers' college.

Finally, the educator Johann Karl Christian Lippe (1779–1853) , who worked in Hofwil , showed interest. In the fall of 1822 he informed the city ​​council that he wanted to run an educational institute for boys and submitted a lease application. The cantonal government gave him the property free of charge for five years, but he had to carry out all necessary repairs himself. Thereafter, the lease was renewed every three years, with an annual interest rate of CHF 300. The institute started operations on February 11, 1823. In the 1830s there were up to 50 students and twelve teachers, including u. a. the geography teacher Johann Gottfried Lüdde . Mostly Protestant French from Alsace and the Midi , whose parents mistrusted the Catholic French school system, received their education here . Lippe's educational principles were largely identical to those of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi , with whom he was friends. The political instability due to the revolutions of 1848/49 led to a decline in students. Due to high operating and maintenance costs, Lippe had to take out loans that he could not repay. Lippe died one day after the end of school operations on September 30, 1853, which had been agreed with the creditors.

View of the castle and town of Lenzburg around 1830

In early 1857 there was a military hospital in the castle for a short time. In June 1859, 120 Austrian soldiers were interned during the Sardinian War , who had fled to Switzerland after the defeats at Magenta and Solferino . In March 1860, decided Great Council of the Canton of Aargau, an offer to purchase the Zurich silk manufacturers Konrad Pestalozzi Scotch Burn to accept, after which the castle and the associated domain for 60,000 francs changed hands. It is not known whether Pestalozzi ever lived there. In February 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War , the Armée de l'Est led by General Charles Denis Bourbaki transferred to Swiss territory. The city of Lenzburg received instructions to take in 600 soldiers. Only in the castle could so many people be accommodated at short notice. Ovens had to be installed, food delivered and an emergency hospital set up in a hurry. The internees returned to France at the beginning of March 1871, and the hospital remained in operation until the end of April.

The heirs of Pestalozzi, who has since died, wanted to sell the castle and unsuccessfully offered it to the canton of Aargau in September 1871. A year later it came into the possession of Friedrich Wilhelm Wedekind for 90,000 francs . He had emigrated to San Francisco in 1849 after the failed March Revolution , where he made a fortune with property speculations during the California gold rush . Returned to Europe in 1864, he emigrated again in 1871 in protest against the Prussian- dominated German Empire, now to Switzerland, and settled in the castle with his wife Emilie Kammerer . His six children, including the later chamber singer Erika Wedekind and the writers Frank Wedekind and Donald Wedekind , spent their youth here.

Friedrich Wilhelm Wedekind died in 1888 and the family then tried to sell the castle. On the one hand, a considerable part of the family's wealth was in the property; on the other hand, the children pushed for their inheritance to be paid out. To bridge the gap, Emilie Kammerer ran a pension that was not very profitable. In March 1892 the American industrialist August Edward Jessup bought the castle for 120,000 francs. Jessup was from Philadelphia but had lived in England for a long time . He was married to Mildred Marion Bowes-Lyon, the aunt of Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon ; thus he was related by marriage to the British royal family. From the beginning, the new owner had planned a comprehensive renovation, taking advice from the art historian Josef Zemp . By dismantling the newer extensions and the military facilities, the castle was largely returned to the state that Plepp had held in 1624. In addition, Jessup had the interiors equipped with valuable furniture and modern technology such as central heating, water connection and electricity installed. The work lasted from 1893 to 1903, and the cost was half a million francs.

James William Ellsworth , another American industrialist and collector of medieval art, had learned that Lenzburg Castle had a table from the time of Emperor Barbarossa . He wanted to add these to his collection and therefore submitted an offer to buy. However, he could only purchase the table together with the entire castle. The Lenzburg changed hands in 1911 for 550,000 francs. His son, the polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth , inherited the castle in 1925. Although he only lived temporarily on the Lenzburg, he planned various expeditions here with Roald Amundsen . This happened in the so-called "Amundsen Room" in the Landvogtei.

Younger story

After Lincoln Ellsworth's death in 1951, the widow Marie Louise Ellsworth-Ulmer inherited the property, which she wanted to sell a few years later because of the high maintenance costs. When some interested parties got in touch, the canton of Aargau intervened and turned to the city of Lenzburg in July 1955 to jointly acquire the castle and thus avoid speculation. The purchase contract concluded on December 19, 1955 contained the following conditions: The city of Lenzburg acquired the parts of the property (building land, agricultural operation) that did not directly belong to the castle complex for 1.5 million francs. The “Lenzburg Castle Foundation”, established jointly by the canton and the city, purchased the castle hill, the buildings on it, as well as the furniture and collections for CHF 500,000. The treaty came into force on June 30, 1956.

In 1960 the Stapferhaus Lenzburg Foundation moved into the “back house”. In April 1970 the Grand Council approved a loan of 9.25 million Swiss francs for the comprehensive renovation of the palace. After extensive preparation, this was carried out from 1978 to 1986, under the direction of the architect Dieter Boller and in cooperation with the monument protection authorities of the canton and the federal government. The work served to preserve the fabric of the building and to adapt the building to future museum operations. At the same time, Aargau Canton Archeology carried out extensive research. With the archaeological excavations, numerous new insights were gained. In 1987, the Aargau Historical Museum was opened in Lenzburg Castle (since 2007 it has been known as the Aargau Museum ). The institution took over the canton's historical collections, a small part of which had been exhibited in the castle since 1956, but had mostly been stored in depots.

Overview of the castle owners

Frank Wedekind memorial plaque

building

General plan
Garden area

The seven buildings of the palace are grouped in a horseshoe shape around a level inner courtyard, which is open to the southwest. The Stapferhaus is in the northwest. The north wing includes the gates and thus the only access. In the northeast corner is the former bailiwick to which the east bastion adjoins. Palas and tower in the southeast form the oldest parts of the complex, the knight's house forms the end to the south.

Fortifications and courtyard

The entrance to the castle is on the northwest side of the complex. A staircase or the old castle path leads to the lower gatehouse built in 1625. The arch of the gate is framed by irregular, embossed blocks. Above it is a relief plaque with the coats of arms of Bern, the empire and Bailiff Peter Bucher, flanked by lions with orb and sword . Another staircase leads through the adjoining Zwinger to the central gatehouse, which also dates from 1625 and was expanded in 1761/62. It is designed as a one-story house with a hipped roof , embossed masonry, arched portal and loopholes. Above the arched opening is a projecting bay window with a curved gable top over four decorated consoles . During the renovation from 1978–1986, an underground connection to the cellar of the Stapferhaus was created. Then the Burgweg turns 180 degrees; it leads up to the drawbridge and through the upper gatehouse into the inner courtyard. The circular wall stands directly on the rock and follows its course, although the height is inconsistent. It dates from roughly the second half of the 15th century and has essentially remained unchanged. It is partly covered with battlements that are bevelled and covered with bricks.

At the south-western end of the inner courtyard, in front of the Stapferhaus, there is a baroque garden . A garden was first mentioned in a bailiff's bill from 1560. In the early 17th century it was delimited by a fence and an armory . Samuel Steck, bailiff from 1771 to 1778, had the garden redesigned based on the French model, with two paths crossing at right angles, which divide the lawn into four equally sized fields. There was also a pavilion attached to the curtain wall . The armory was demolished around 1890. About ten years later, castle owner Jessup made extensive changes by adding a lawn to the courtyard and planting exotic trees and shrubs on it. In the course of the palace renovation, Steck's garden was restored to its original condition in 1982 and the lawn in the inner courtyard was replaced by a gravel area two years later. At the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes of the garden is a water basin made of Mägenwil shell limestone with a small fountain.

  • Lower gatehouse

  • Heraldic plaque on the lower gatehouse

  • Middle gatehouse

  • Upper gatehouse

North wing

Heraldic plaque on the upper gatehouse

The north wing is a group of interconnected houses, consisting of the upper gatehouse, the remains of the northern keep and the new bailiwick. The upper gatehouse, the only access to the inner courtyard, was probably built after a fire in 1518, with some older foundations being included. The location of the Aarburghaus, which was built in 1339 and which fell victim to the flames, is believed to be here. Above the lintel is a plaque attached in 1596 with the coat of arms of the empire, the Bern estate and the von Erlach family .

To the east of the gatehouse is the northern keep, which has been connected to the neighboring buildings by a shared saddle roof since the complete renovation between 1718 and 1720 . The gate and the prison were once located here. Only the west wall and parts of the foundations on the south and east walls have survived from the original building. A sandstone relief from 1720 on the courtyard side, which shows a bear, reminds of the renovation; the coats of arms of the bailiff and the Seckelmeister , which were also planned , were not carried out.

In place of a guard and wash house built in 1625, a new domicile for the bailiff was built in 1672–1674. The neighboring bailiwick on the northeast corner was no longer habitable at that time because moisture had penetrated the walls after the eastern bastion had been filled in. On the courtyard side, Daniel Stürler added a staircase in 1731/32. Its narrow facade is structured by evenly laid boss blocks, horizontal joints and a cornice. Today the museum administration is located in the building.

Landvogtei

Landvogtei

The Landvogtei is a three-storey late Gothic town house with a stepped gable and a steep pitched roof. It served as the office and residence of the Bernese bailiffs after the previous building from the 14th century was destroyed by fire in 1518. In contrast to the other houses, the Landvogtei does not border directly on the curtain wall, the distance is one to two meters. The exception is a small round tower from 1626 on its southeast corner, which replaced a wooden toilet bay.

The pentagonal stair tower , which was added to the front in 1630, replaced a steeper staircase inside the building. The original onion helmet was replaced by a hipped roof in 1760 , and parts of the south facade had to be demolished and rebuilt in 1761/62 due to moisture damage. Part of the entrance room dates from around 1460. On the first floor, a hall that was expanded in 1565 extends along the entire north side. From 1646 the bailiwick was uninhabitable because moisture had penetrated. From 1902 to 1904 Jessup had the earth wall responsible for this in the east bastion lowered by two floors, which enabled the building to be renovated. The Landvogtei was extended towards the courtyard and received a neo-Gothic facade.

East bastion

East bastion

The bastion on the eastern edge of the courtyard was built between 1642 and 1646 on the site of a bulwark built in 1582 , which was already out of date at the time of its construction. By closing the gap between the Palas and the Landvogtei, the castle was to be protected from possible cannon fire from the Goffersberg opposite. The old bulwark walls were included in the mantle of the new fortifications. The adjacent bailiwick was covered by a mighty earth wall, which attracted moisture and made the building uninhabitable. In 1659 a clock tower was added to the east bastion , the pointed helmet roof gave way to an onion dome in 1760. In 1893/94 Jessup had the outer wall reduced by six meters, which uncovered the walled-up windows on the south side of the bailiwick. A rose garden was created on the surface of the lowered wall. During the complete renovation (1978–1986) the last remnants of the earth wall were removed and a basement was hollowed out.

A narrow spiral staircase set into the courtyard wall leads to the eleven-meter-high tin-studded wall. Chambers on three floors adjoin the spiral staircase, recognizable by the facade windowing on the courtyard side. A round arch portal with square pilaster strips and a triangular gable set with spheres marks the entrance. A coat of arms is embedded in the facade, some of which is weathered; The coats of arms of the bailiffs Hans Weyermann and Daniel Lerber are recognizable. The dial of the clock tower was painted by H. J. Horer, the clockwork is by Tobias Liechti. On the side of the rose garden, a gallery connects the Landvogtei with the Palas.

Hall

The rectangular palace with pent roof was built in 1100 on behalf of the Counts of Lenzburg than 18 meters high, reinforced housing with four floors. The floor plan is rectangular with a side length of 13.8 × 8 meters. Together with the adjoining tower, the palas, made of layered house stones and inclined quarry stones , is one of the oldest buildings in the palace. The entrance was originally on the third floor and could only be reached through an outdoor wooden staircase. The main floor had a fireplace, the fourth floor served as a bedroom, the first and second floor as a pantry. At the time of the Bernese provincial bailiffs, the building was called "Route" because it housed the torture chamber . In 1592/99, the hall was given a new entrance with an archway on the ground floor. Between 1978 and 1986 the floor plan and staircase connections were rearranged in order to enable contemporary museum operations.

tower

Hall and tower

The tower (also known as the southern keep ) is laid out in a square of 10 × 10 meters and has walls three meters thick. It was added to the Palas around 1150 and used its western flank as a closing wall. After the death of the builder Ulrich IV, construction work was stopped and the building remained unfinished for over 170 years. It was not completed until 1344, with the addition of two more floors with a smaller wall thickness. During the rule of Bern, from around the early 17th century, the prison was located on the first floor . The top floor has a false crenellated wreath under the hipped roof and is closed with an arched frieze at the bottom .

In order to create greater capacities for grain storage, the tower and the neighboring knight's house with the sod well in between were connected by an unadorned functional building in 1728/29 . The north facade had to be removed because the tower was not arranged at the same angle as the knight's house. Jessup had the granary demolished in 1896 and restored the tower to its original state. The well, first mentioned in 1369, was exposed again. During the overall renovation (1978–1986), the floors were redistributed and the stairs were arranged differently.

Knight house

Upper hall in the knight's house

Construction of the knight's house began in 1339. The Habsburg Duke Friedrich II was supposed to be the daughter of the English King Edward III at Lenzburg Castle . get married, which is why a representative residential building in the Gothic style was commissioned. The young duke died in 1344 shortly before the completion of the construction work, so that the walls remained unplastered for the time being. In 1509, the western part was in such a bad condition that it had to be demolished and rebuilt. In the eastern part, the outer walls remained, but here too the interiors were completely redesigned. The building received new roof beams and several pillars to improve the statics , the walls were now plastered. The length of the house was reduced somewhat because the western outer wall was demolished and rebuilt further east. By 1590 the building had sunk more and more to a large barn with a grain store and winery, at the same time it was given loopholes. In 1758 the interior of the building was completely redesigned again. Thanks to the newly built intermediate floors, even more grain could be stored. In 1893 the original condition was restored as well as possible. The intermediate floors were removed and the hall on the upper floor got its pointed arch windows back. Today the hall can be rented for social events.

The two-storey hall building with a rectangular floor plan of 28 × 17 meters has a mighty half-hip roof . While the upper hall takes up the entire width, the lower hall borders on a corridor. A Gothic ribbon of round arched arcades with ogival twin windows adorns the entire length of the small hall on the south side, while the arcades are missing from the twin windows on the upper floor. Rectangular windows break through the lower part of the north wall. The two-storey roof structure is covered with beaver tail tiles cut to a point .

Next to the knight's house was a small one dedicated to St. Fortunatus chapel . It was first mentioned in a document in 1369. After almost four centuries it was so dilapidated that it had to be demolished in 1762/63.

Stapferhaus

Stapferhaus

In 1600, a new, two-storey economic building, the "rear house", was built on the southwest side of the palace complex. It was created by uniting the stable and the mill under a single roof. In 1705/07 the house was extended to the east towards the north wing in order to create additional capacities for grain storage. In 1761/62 part of the south facade had to be rebuilt due to moisture damage. The Kornhaus extension was demolished in 1893 and replaced by a reconstructed battlement that leads over to the upper gatehouse. Today the rear house is named after Philipp Albert Stapfer , a revolutionary and minister of the Helvetic Republic .

The elongated, three-story building has a hipped roof that is covered twice with plain tiles. The simple windows are arranged regularly. Three loggias adjoin the east side: The one on the ground floor is brick, the two above are made of wood. Structurally and stylistically connected to it are the covered battlement and the grain chute below, attached to the defensive wall. Since the summer of 2018, the Stapferhaus has moved into its new Stapferhaus Lenzburg directly at the Lenzburg train station , where it has found more spacious exhibition space.

Lenzburg Castle Museum

The Lenzburg Castle Museum, part of the Aargau Museum , formerly known as the Aargau Historical Museum , is divided into four areas: Residential museum (in the Landvogtei), new permanent exhibition (in the palace and in the tower), history studio and temporary exhibitions (in the east bastion) and children's museum (in the attic of the Landvogtei). The museum is visited by around 70,000 people every year, around a third of which are school classes.

Historical museum: 19th century home decor

The 30-year-old residential museum was supplemented in 2011 with projections and radio plays, which give an insight into the life of the bailiffs Adrian von Bubenberg and Peter Bucher as well as the castle owner August Edward Jessup and his wife Mildred Marion Bowes-Lyon. The ground floor is dedicated to the late Middle Ages . In the Täferstube walls and ceiling are almost completely covered with a wood facing ( Täfer provided). There is various simple furniture in the room, including a box table for storing writing utensils, various folding chairs, as well as chests and cupboards. The living room contains a reconstructed dome furnace from the 14th century. The medieval kitchen is at its original location, with the stove and extractor being reconstructed. In addition, original kitchen utensils are exhibited. Living during the Renaissance and Baroque ages is presented on the first floor . The living room is furnished with a four-poster bed , cabinet, tapestries and a fireplace. The reconstructed kitchen shows the progress in housekeeping since the late Middle Ages. A faience - tile stove and hunting utensils characterize the bailiff office. The bay-like writing room is attached to it. The second floor shows living in the 19th century. Depictions of animal scenes and still lifes with flowers dominate the salon , the luxurious furnishings of which are in the Louis-Seize style. An Aargau tiled stove from 1775 is noteworthy. In the bedroom, idyllic landscapes and fantasy worlds are depicted on the stucco ceiling, and the furniture comes from the Rococo period. The music room has largely been preserved in its original state .

The historical collections are grouped together. The prison in the tower, which has largely been preserved in its original state, explains the legal system and the penal system in the 17th century. You can see u. a. Prongs carved into the wood by the prisoners and various torture tools . In the residential tower and in the tower, the museum deals with the early history of the castle with the Counts of Lenzburg, the Counts of Kyburg and the Habsburgs. The children's museum conveys the history of the castle in an age-appropriate manner , using the most modern museum-educational knowledge. The children can playfully process the impressions they have gained on the tour. On the upper floor of the children's museum, the "PLIRRK!" set up on the life and work of polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth , the last private owner of the castle. The east bastion houses an exhibition room in the basement, in which the history studio for families and young people is located, with the subjects of "knights", "collecting", "schooling" and "court and punishment". Smaller special exhibitions on other topics from the castle's history also take place in the old cultural property protection room.

Other uses

The facility has been owned by the Lenzburg Castle Foundation since 1956. The canton has three quarters of this and the city of Lenzburg one quarter. The purpose of the foundation is "to preserve the castle properties in their inventory and character, to make the castle accessible to the public and to make the given buildings available to cultural endeavors in a meaningful way". The foundation has to generate most of its financial needs itself, which is why it rents out the knight's house to hold events. Around 160 events per year (three quarters private, one quarter public institutions) with a total of 15,000 to 20,000 participants are common.

The association "Friends of Lenzburg", founded in 1958, supports the goals of the foundation by "promoting the cultural and social life of the Canton of Aargau and the city of Lenzburg in particular through suitable events". This includes in particular classical concerts and theater performances in the inner courtyard or in the knight's house.

Folk Festival Lenzburg (1975)

From 1972 to 1980 the Lenzburg Folk Festival took place in the castle . It was the first and most influential folk festival in Switzerland.

From 1960 to 2018 the Stapferhaus Lenzburg Foundation used the “back house”. The name Stapferhaus referred to Philipp Albert Stapfer , the education minister of the Helvetic Republic . The foundation initially saw itself as a discussion forum at the interface between culture and science, and since 1992 it has also organized exhibitions on contemporary topics. The Stapferhaus is now located in a new building in the city of Lenzburg. The “Bernerhaus”, as the “rear house” was originally called, has been converted and now houses the bistro. In the upper rooms there are meeting and conference rooms.

literature

  • Hans Dürst, Hans Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum . AT-Verlag, Aarau 1990, ISBN 3-85502-385-9 .
  • André Moosbrugger, Klaus Merz, Bruno Meier, Heiner Halder, Hans Ulrich Glarner, Daniela Ball, Gabriela Angehrn: Lenzburg Castle . Kromer Medien, Lenzburg 2001.
  • Heidi Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded . In: Historical Society of the Canton of Aargau (Ed.): Argovia . tape 106 . Sauerländer, Aarau 1994, ISBN 978-3-7941-3778-7 ( online ).
  • Hans Dürst: Lenzburg Castle, Aargau Historical Museum . In: Swiss Art Guide GSK . Society for Swiss Art History, Bern 1992, ISBN 3-85782-509-X .
  • Michael Stettler , Emil Maurer: The art monuments of the canton Aargau, districts Lenzburg and Brugg . Birkhäuser Verlag , Basel 1953.
  • Peter Frey: Lenzburg Castle, new findings on the history of construction and settlement: results of archaeological research from 1979-1984 . In: Historical Society of the Canton of Aargau (Hrsg.): News of the Swiss Castle Association . tape 60 . Swiss Castle Association , Aarau 1987, ISBN 978-3-7941-3778-7 ( online ).
  • Angela Dettling, Stefan Hess , Thomas Rorato: Exhibition guide Residential Museum / Museum Aargau . Museum Aargau, Lenzburg 2011.
  • Nature and Homeland Conservation Commission Lenzburg (Ed.): Nature and Culture Path Schlossberg and Goffersberg . 2008.

Web links

Commons : Schloss Lenzburg  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Molasse-Rundhöcker Schlossberg and Gofi near Lenzburg. (PDF; 622 kB) (No longer available online.) Swiss Academy of Sciences , 2012, archived from the original on December 22, 2016 ; accessed on January 1, 2017 .
  2. ^ Castle and Goffersberg Nature and Culture Trail. P. 26.
  3. ↑ a b Frey: Lenzburg Castle, new findings on building and settlement history. P. 2.
  4. ^ Frey: Lenzburg Castle, new findings on the history of building and settlement. P. 3.
  5. ^ The founding legend of Lenzburg. (PDF; 580 kB) Museum Aargau , accessed on January 1, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Hans Stadler: Lenzburg, Ulrich I. von (the rich). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  7. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 15-16.
  8. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. P. 18.
  9. ↑ Anna von Kyburg - the story of a wedding. Museum Aargau, accessed on January 1, 2017 .
  10. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 18-20.
  11. ↑ Veronika Feller-Vest: Ribi (mayor of Lenzburg). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  12. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 21-22.
  13. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 23-24.
  14. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. P. 25.
  15. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 28-29.
  16. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 30-31.
  17. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 32-33.
  18. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. Pp. 33-34.
  19. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. P. 21.
  20. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 493-494.
  21. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 497-500.
  22. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 502-503.
  23. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 504-505.
  24. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 506-507.
  25. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 507-508.
  26. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 510-511.
  27. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. Pp. 512-513.
  28. ^ Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. P. 515.
  29. ↑ a b Neuenschwander: Lenzburg Castle since the canton was founded. P. 517.
  30. ^ Peter Paul Stöckli: The open spaces of Lenzburg Castle . In: Anthos: Journal of Landscape Architecture . tape 24 , 1985 ( online ).
  31. ^ History of Lenzburg Castle. Museum Aargau , accessed on January 1, 2017 .
  32. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. P. 128.
  33. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 35.
  34. ^ Lenzburg Castle, other walls with fortifications in the inventory of the canton of Aargau .
  35. ^ Castle and Goffersberg Nature and Culture Trail. Pp. 24-25.
  36. ^ Lenzburg Castle, courtyards with gardens in the inventory of historical monuments of the Canton of Aargau .
  37. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. P. 129.
  38. ↑ a b Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 28.
  39. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. P. 130.
  40. ^ Lenzburg Castle, northern residential building in the inventory of the canton of Aargau .
  41. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. P. 131.
  42. ↑ a b c Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 32.
  43. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. Pp. 131-132.
  44. ^ Lenzburg Castle, Landvogtei in the inventory of historical monuments of the Canton of Aargau .
  45. ↑ a b Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. Pp. 132-133.
  46. ↑ a b Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. Pp. 35-36.
  47. ^ Lenzburg Castle, east bastion in the inventory of historical monuments of the Canton of Aargau .
  48. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. P. 134.
  49. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. Pp. 25-26.
  50. ^ Stettler, Maurer: The art monuments of the canton of Aargau. Pp. 133-134.
  51. ↑ a b Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 26.
  52. ↑ Lenzburg Castle, southern keep with palas in the inventory of the canton of Aargau .
  53. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 9.
  54. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 30.
  55. ↑ Schloss Lenzburg, Ritterhaus in the inventory of historical monuments of the Canton of Aargau .
  56. ^ Dürst, Weber: Lenzburg Castle and Aargau Historical Museum. P. 20.
  57. ^ Lenzburg Castle, Stapferhaus in the inventory of historical monuments of the Canton of Aargau .
  58. ^ Moosbrugger et al .: Lenzburg Castle. Pp. 42, 45.
  59. ↑ Dettling: Exhibition guide Wohnmuseum / Museum Aargau. P. 3.
  60. ↑ Dettling: Exhibition guide Wohnmuseum / Museum Aargau. Pp. 4-8.
  61. ↑ Dettling: Exhibition guide Wohnmuseum / Museum Aargau. Pp. 10-16.
  62. ↑ Dettling: Exhibition guide Wohnmuseum / Museum Aargau. Pp. 18-22.
  63. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. Pp. 47-54.
  64. ^ Dürst: Lenzburg Castle. Art guide GSK. P. 42.
  65. ^ Moosbrugger et al .: Lenzburg Castle. Pp. 41-42.
  66. ^ Moosbrugger et al .: Lenzburg Castle. P. 45.
  67. ↑ Christine Burckhardt-Seebass: "Gang, get d'Gitarre ...": the folk festival on the Lenzburg 1972-1980 and the Swiss folk movement: a sketch. In: Swiss Archives for Folklore. 1987, p. 156. ( Online )
  68. ↑ History 1960–2014. Stapferhaus Lenzburg , accessed on January 1, 2017 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on June 19, 2005 .