Hans Caspar Werdmüller

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Hans Caspar Werdmüller

Hans Caspar Werdmüller (born February 8, 1663 in Zurich ; † January 13, 1744 there ) was a Swiss builder, officer and politician.

Live and act

Hans Caspar Werdmüller was one of the most talented mathematicians and construction experts in the Werdmüller family. He remained single all his life and was involved in the military. From a young age he was an officer in foreign services.

Career as a fortress builder and surveying expert

In 1690, at the age of only 27, he became the overseer of the Zurich ski jumps and was entrusted with completing the stretch from the Sihl Bridge to the Schützenhaus. He held this office of hill master for half a century, until 1740.

In 1692 he was commissioned by the city of Geneva to build various new fortifications. In 1696 he was to be found in Piedmont, where he carried out major tasks in fortress construction.

In 1698 he was entrusted with the management of the town hall building in Zurich. In 1699 the people of Zurich promoted him to major. He received the order to expand the artillery . He was also instrumental in the fortification of Stein am Rhein (which then belonged to the Zurich residents).

From 1703–1705, the Bünder government received a major order to bring the dilapidated fortifications on the St. Luzisteig back to the "required state of defense". The solution chosen made him famous. The fortress remained unchanged until 1855.

In between, he planned fortification work on the Zurich borders. 1702: Renovation of the church and rectory in Wädenswil . In the same year: New church and rectory in Schönenberg . 1705/06 the new church in Weiach .

In 1705 he became a municipal engineer in Zurich . From 1705 to 1715 he was city commandant of Lindau on Lake Constance . Since he was considered an authority in the field of surveying art, he was commissioned in 1711 to establish the national borders on the Geneva - Basel line .

Use in the Second Villmerger War

In 1712 Werdmüller was Feldzeugmeister in the Toggenburg War ( Second Villmerger War ) with the rank of lieutenant colonel, later deployed to siege Baden and destroy the fortifications there. Then he was posted to the headquarters in Mettmenstetten with the task of inspecting all border posts as far as Lake Zurich and of securing various entrenchments against enemy incursions. Towards Rapperswil , especially near Rüti , Werdmüller carried out major entrenchments and finally he was entrusted with the management of the siege of Rapperswil.

He ended his career in 1717–1725 as Obervogt zu Männedorf and Chief Inspector of the five military quarters Rüti, Grüningen , Kyburg , Turbenthal and Elgg .

literature

  • L. Weisz: The Werdmüller. Fates of an old Zurich family. Second volume, Zurich 1949, pp. 332–341.
  • J. Egli: New historical coat of arms of the city of Zurich. Zurich 1860. Unpaginated, PDF pages 298–299.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The fact that Werdmüller was also involved in the Weiacher plant is indirectly documented by primary sources in connection with the construction of the von Bachs church in 1713/14.
personal data
SURNAME Werdmüller, Hans Caspar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss builder, officer and politician.
DATE OF BIRTH February 8, 1663
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich
DATE OF DEATH January 13, 1744
Place of death Zurich