Altenburg Castle

Altenburg Castle
	Tower house of the Altenburg castle, on the far right part of the Roman wall
Creation time :	370
Conservation status:	receive
Place:	Altenburg near Brugg
Geographical location	47 ° 28 '55.2 " N , 8 ° 11' 39.6" E Coordinates: 47 ° 28 '55.2 " N , 8 ° 11' 39.6" E ; CH1903: 656 960 / 259301

The Schlösschen Altenburg ( also called Schlössli in Swiss German ) is a castle in the Swiss city of Brugg . It is located around 1 km west of the old town in the Altenburg district on the banks of the Aare . The castle has its origins in a Roman fort that was built around 370 AD. At the end of the 10th century it was the first proven residence of the Habsburgs . Today the facility serves as a youth hostel .

history

The Altenburg castle on an engraving by David Herrliberger , 1758

The Roman fort Altenburg, one of three located on the Aare River forts, was around the year 370 around under Emperor I. Valentinian built. It was built on a steep rock head at the bend in the river and was part of the Danube-Iller-Rhein-Limes . However, some coin finds suggest that the fort may have been built at the beginning of the 4th century. Presumably it protected a transshipment point, as the subsequent narrow river was difficult for barges to pass due to numerous rocks. In addition, the river could easily be crossed at this point. Only a few years later, between 401 and 406, the structure was abandoned.

In the late 10th century, an aristocratic family settled here, which may originally have descended from the Alsatian Etichons . Count Lanzelin gave the order to build a small castle using the existing Roman walls. Around 1020, Lanzelin's son Radbot ordered the construction of the Habsburgs on Wülpelsberg, three kilometers to the southwest. A few decades later, the family took the name of this castle. After the Habsburgs had moved, the Altenburg left them to loyal followers, initially to the Habsburg taverns, and later to the Effinger von Brugg family.

In 1397 the Altenburg was transferred to the Königsfelden monastery founded by the Habsburgs, together with the entire self-office . After the Aargau was conquered in 1415, the facility fell into the possession of the city of Bern . The Pro Vindonissa Society and the Aargau Historical Society acquired the area in 1938.

investment

The late Roman fort had a bell-shaped floor plan, the inner area was 28.3 ares. At least four semicircular towers and a no longer recognizable moat protected the wall, which was up to five meters thick. The remains of the wall on the river side were torn down in 1894 when an inlet canal for the Brugger hydropower plant was being built. The preserved ancient ruins are integrated into the buildings that exist today.

The most striking buildings are the tower house and the gabled house, both of which were built in the late Gothic style in 1570 . The west wall of the tower house is made of Roman masonry up to a height of seven meters (the highest preserved Roman wall in Switzerland). A youth hostel was set up in the tower house in 1943 . There are also some farmhouses within the fort walls that date back to the first half of the 16th century.

Web links

Commons : Schlösschen Altenburg - Collection of images, videos and audio files