Büren Castle

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Büren Castle (south view)

The Castle Buren is a castle in the town of Bueren an der Aare in the canton of Bern , in Switzerland . It is the most important castle in Bern from the first half of the 17th century . Thanks to its facade painting, it is a total work of art with a high historical content and therefore a monument of national importance.

The castle houses the district administration of the office of Büren : the government governor's office , the court authorities of the court district III Aarberg-Büren-Erlach, a prison and an office of the district land registry office III and the debt enforcement and bankruptcy office.

history

Büren Castle (northwest view).

In 1393 Bern succeeded the Counts of Neuchâtel in Büren . The old seat of the bailiffs, called the Schultheissen, was in the side street. In 1620 Bern bought four town houses between Hauptgasse and Aare at the western entrance to the city and had a large new castle built in their place by 1625. The aim of the company was to make a representative appearance as a state at the state border at the time, at the Aare crossing, the Aare, which is important as a transport route, and the most ancient east-west route in Switzerland. The building, which was moved into in 1624, has served the district administration since then.

History of architecture and art

In accordance with the task, the new building turned out to be representative. At the square-like confluence of Kreuzgasse, it was erected in the gable position instead of the usual eaves position . This makes the building appear larger and more powerful. The dreieinhalbgeschossige, strong befensterte facade dominates a large Ründedach which side representative Haustein oriel pierced. An independent gate construction in Renaissance forms with machicolation and turrets leads into the courtyard; On the eaves side, a mighty stair tower opens up the entire house via a cross passage.

The image of the palace is dominated by the recently restored and contemporary painting cycle carried out in 1623 on the main and side facade of the palace, executed by the universal artist Joseph Plepp . Inserted into the painted pseudo-architecture of a palace facade, it shows an extensive iconographic program of the Good Government of Bern, which is compared with that of Rome in its republican time. In the center is a “fertile” Bernese coat of arms , above it the allegory of Mars / Victoria and Pax , protected by Pallas Athene , including four seasons and the four elements.

On the western side of the eaves, in the triumphal arch, there is a huge mural with the sacrificial death of Marcus Curtius to save the city of Rome , the largest facade painting in the canton of Bern. In the midst of the Thirty Years 'War , which devastated entire regions just a few hours away from the state border, Bern demonstrated that its political system flourishes in a peace in strength, that gods, elements and seasons are favorable to it, but that the citizens' sense of sacrifice for the common good requirement.

Web links

Commons : Schloss Büren  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

Coordinates: 47 ° 8 '24 "  N , 7 ° 22' 16.2"  E ; CH1903:  594882  /  221005