Knonau Castle

The Knonau Castle is standing under the protection of the castle in the town of Knonau in district Affoltern , of the South West Canton of Zurich in Switzerland . The castle, seat of the governor, was built around 1525. The Meierhof is considered the forerunner of the castle and was first mentioned in a document in 1240.

history

A castle stable was first mentioned in 1547 . In 1617 a castle with a moat was mentioned. Such a building has not been proven archaeologically.

In 1507, Zurich moved the seat of the outer bailiwick of Hedingen-Freiamt-Maschwanden to the Meyerhof in Knonau. Five years later, Gerold Meyer von Knonau sold the Knonau jurisdiction including Meyerhof to Zurich. In 1525 the castle was rebuilt and rebuilt. The castle was damaged during the second Kappel War . 1534 and 1540 the castle was by a wall and a fed by Wattenbach moat with drawbridge adds. The oldest surviving invoice dates from 1534 and relates to the drawbridge. After a popular uprising in 1545, the bailiwick lost the criminal court. The sword in the judges' room stayed in the castle until around 1800.

Knonau Castle in the regimental book of Junkers Gerold Escher , around 1700

Knonau Castle 1740, copper engraving by David Herrliberger

In 1584 an armory was set up on the ground floor of the castle . In the 18th century a trot with apartment, shed and a castle barn was built. In 1786 plane trees were planted at the entrance . Today they are considered to be the most powerful in Switzerland.

The castle was rebuilt from 1788 to 1789. The main entrance was moved from the north to the south side, there was a staircase and toilet extension in plastered half-timbering and the window axes were regulated. During the renovation, the three tower ovens were placed on the 1st and 2nd floors; one with musical emblems.

During the renovation, the moat was probably filled, the surrounding wall was torn down , which was replaced by a new, plastered broken stone wall in a square shape, and the small buildings in front of it. A new garden wall almost as high as a man was erected, which protected a new symmetrical garden between the castle and the newly erected outbuildings. A wash and bath house with servants' chambers and a prison with two salons were also built. The prison was converted into a residential building in 1852.

In 1798 Knonau came to the Mettmenstetten district ; the castle was therefore leased. In 1816 Knonau became the district capital of the district of the same name and the castle was the seat of the district authority under the senior bailiff. In 1832 the castle was sold to the mayor and postman Caspar Syz and remained in the possession of his descendants until 1900. It served as the “Golden Lion” inn and post office until 1887. From 1833 to 1834 the court house was added to the south of the castle barn. In 1837 Affoltern am Albis became the district capital, whereupon the palace area was abandoned by the authorities in 1839 and the court house was converted for residential purposes in 1847. In 1837 a cheese factory was built by a corporation . In 1848 a barn was added to the west of the Trott building. Between 1854 and 1855 the court house and the castle barn were rebuilt after a fire. A bowling alley was built on the northern garden wall in 1865, which was set up as a laundry drying facility in 1932 and provided with two head structures serving as garden pavilions.

Knonau Castle seen from the railway line

In 1926, Dr. Jakob Klaesi took over the entire castle area and set up a private mental hospital there. In 1929 the water supply and in 1932 an oil heating system were installed in the castle and the external plastering was removed. In 1949, at the instigation of the owner at the time, the castle and its surroundings were to be placed under monument protection. Despite the positive attitude of the cantonal building authorities and a draft protection ordinance, no legal measures were taken.

In 1963 the facade of the castle was renovated again; Removal of the plaster on the south-east and north-west facade. In 1979 the castle was included in the inventory of supra-communal protected objects as a monument of cantonal importance and in 1981 in the regional master plan Knonaueramt as a cultural object of regional importance. In 1983 the interior was auctioned off.

During 1985 and 1986 it was classified as a protected object of cantonal importance. Restorations took place again from 1986 to 1991 . In 1990 dendrochronological examinations were made by the LRD. In 1998 the castle was bought by the current owner.