Kyburg Castle

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Kyburg Castle
View of Kyburg Castle from the south

View of Kyburg Castle from the south

Alternative name (s): Chuigeburg, Kieburg, Chiburg
Creation time : First mentioned in 1027
Castle type : Höhenburg , conversion to a castle
Conservation status: Receive
Standing position : High nobility
Construction: Humpback cuboid
Place: Kyburg ZH
Geographical location 47 ° 27 '30.2 "  N , 8 ° 44' 36.2"  O Coordinates: 47 ° 27 '30.2 "  N , 8 ° 44' 36.2"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred ninety-eight thousand three hundred eighty-three  /  257218
Height: 629  m above sea level M.
Kyburg Castle (Canton of Zurich)
Kyburg Castle
The Kyburg as the governor's castle of the city of Zurich around 1740 on an engraving by David Herrliberger
Kyburg Castle on a hill high above the Töss. Graphic by I. H. Möller, 1869.

The Kyburg is a castle near the village of the same name ( Kyburg ZH ) in the municipality of Illnau-Effretikon , Switzerland . It is located south of Winterthur high above the Töss and goes back to a medieval castle . The Kyburg is classified as a cultural asset of national importance .

Surname

The earliest mentions include Chuigeburg (1027), Chuoiburk (1096), Chuoweburg (1152), Chuoburg (1156). The starting point is most likely an Old High German * Chuoioburg, * Chuoiobërg «place, mountain where cows stay». Later it is Qwiburg (1180), Chiburg (1212) and similar, which - since the development is not according to the law - is perhaps a deliberate renaming based on the Middle High German kîp "Zank, defense ", since the old name did not sound too courteous to the counts and should now give the impression of a stronghold .

history

middle Ages

Liutfried II von Winterthur is the presumed builder of the castle, first mentioned in 1027 . It should have served as a place of refuge for Count Werner von Winterthur in 1025 when he joined Duke Ernst of Swabia and fought with him against his stepfather, Emperor Konrad II . After the rebellion had been put down by the emperor, Count Werner and Ernst von Schwaben fled to the Kyburg. In 1027 the castle was conquered and destroyed by the emperor. Werner von Winterthur fell on August 17, 1030 near Falkenstein Castle in the Black Forest in a fight against the people of Bishop Warmann von Konstanz on the Baar.

After the Winterthur family died out in the middle of the 11th century, their inheritance came to the Dillingen family through the marriage between Adelheid von Winterthur-Kyburg and Count Hartmann I von Dillingen . Count Hartmann, who fought on the side of the Pope's supporters against the abbot of St. Gallen loyal to the emperor , lost the Kyburg in 1079. Despite the defeat, Hartmann maintained his position and became one of the most influential personalities in northeastern Switzerland. His grandson Hartmann III. von Dillingen, who now called himself Hartmann I. von Kyburg , married Richenza von Lenzburg-Baden.

After the Lenzburgers died out in 1173 and the Zähringers in 1218 , their lands and sovereign rights came to the House of Kyburg, which, along with the Habsburgs and Savoy, became one of the most important noble families between the Rhine and the Alps. The Kyburger died out in 1263. Her inheritance came through Anna von Kyburg to the Counts of Habsburg-Laufenburg , who sold the majority to Rudolf von Habsburg . After his election as the German king , the Kyburg quickly lost its importance, even if the imperial regalia were kept in Kyburg from 1273 to 1325 . A small part of the Kyburg heritage was combined under Habsburg administration as the County of Kyburg to form an administrative unit with its center on the Kyburg.

Kyburg at the time of the governors

Early modern age

In 1424 the city of Zurich acquired the county. The first bailiff was Johannes Schwend the Old, who had the dilapidated castle restored. In 1442 Austria demanded it back as compensation for the support given in the Old Zurich War . In 1452 Zurich raised 17,000 guilders and received the county as pledge. In 1499 King Maximilian I renounced his rights and left the Kyburg to the people of Zurich. Up until 1798, noble citizens of Zurich served as Vogt on the Kyburg for six years, held court and collected the taxes. In many cases, the office of bailiff served as a preliminary stage to the mayor's office in Zurich, such as for Johann Heinrich Waser and Heinrich Escher . Ludwig Lavater , who later became archdeacon at the Grossmünster and Antistes of the Reformed Church in Zurich , was born here as the son of Bailiff Hans Rudolf Lavater .

Kyburg Castle, Sights Switzerland, Winterthur, Kyburg
Kyburg Castle in the evening light

The time of the governors ended in 1798 with the beginning of the Helvetic Republic ; 59 bailiffs had resided on the Kyburg. In March 1798, peasants occupied the Kyburg and plundered it, but granted the last Vogt, Hans Caspar Ulrich (1741-1817) free travel.

Later use

In 1815 the Kyburg became the seat of an upper office, which prevented the building from collapsing. With the reorganization of the cantonal administration of Zurich in 1831, the Kyburg lost its function as the administrative seat and in 1832 the canton auctioned the castle for 10,600 francs to the coffee farmer Franz Heinrich Hirzel from Winterthur, who wanted to break it off to sell the stones as building material. His project was prevented by the history-conscious citizens of Winterthur, and so in 1835 he sold it to the Polish refugee Count Alexander Sobansky (1799–1861) for 12,000 guilders. Sobansky had participated in Poland's uprising against Russia in 1830 and had to flee after it was suppressed. The Counts Sobansky lived on the Kyburg for almost 30 years, together with two sons.

Eduard Bodmer, the last private owner

The next owner was Lieutenant Colonel Matthäus Pfau from Winterthur in 1864, he exhibited his collection of paintings in the castle. After his death, the castle stood empty for nine years. He was followed in 1889 by the last private owner, the businessman Eduard Bodmer Thomann from Oetwil am See (1837–1914), who, with the help of Rudolf Rahn , repaired the building. He opened the castle as a museum in the style of medieval romanticism and guided the visitors through the rooms himself.

The canton of Zurich bought the system back from its heirs in 1917 for 150,000 francs. From 1925 to 1927 extensive renovations took place, some of which were also reversed earlier changes. The newly designed exhibition lasted until 1999, since then the association "Museum Schloss Kyburg" has been running the museum. Under the leadership of Dione Flühler-Kreis, he set up a new permanent exhibition that opened in autumn 1999. Today the exhibition is popular with school classes and families.

photos

  • Dragon hole

  • Halberd room

  • niche

  • room

  • Courtyard before restoration

  • after restoration

  • Battlement before restoration

  • after restoration

Building history

Plant plan

Presumably in 1027, when the Kyburg was first mentioned, there were wooden buildings within a palisade . The oldest documented parts of the Kyburg were built between 1150 and 1250. Documented are the keep , palas , chapel and three stone houses and a corner tower in the southwest. The 2.50 meter thick shield wall between the keep and the hall was built in the 13th century. After the castle became the property of the Habsburgs, the castle was rebuilt. The corner tower was demolished, the building was extended to the south and the northern curtain wall with the castle gate was erected. After a major fire between 1250 and 1370, extensive renovation work was carried out. The Palas was built around 1370 at the latest. With its 290 m² of living space per floor, it is one of the largest of its kind in the German-speaking area.

After the castle was taken over by the canton of Zurich, rebuilding began in 1424. The upper part of the keep was rebuilt from tuff, and the high entrance at a height of 11 meters was also used. In 1472 the south facade of the knight's house had to be rebuilt because of the unstable ground. In addition, the chapel received a new east wall with Gothic windows and a new roof. After the Reformation , the wall paintings were covered over in 1515, and the chapel served as a gun store. In 1624 it was divided into two floors. The Kyburg received its present appearance mainly around 1500.

chapel

in the chapel

When the chapel was built is not known, it is assumed that it was built around 1200. In 1235 a castle chaplain is mentioned. The Romanesque complex with nave, choir and side choir was largely preserved. Around 1308, the Hungarian Queen Agnes of Hungary is said to have made changes, but these can no longer be traced.

In 1440, the ship and choir were painted on behalf of the first bailiffs in Zurich. The cycle of pictures on the life of Zurich's city ​​saint Regula was donated by Landvogt Felix Schwarzmurer around 1480. During the Reformation , Landvogt Hans Rudolf Lavater had it covered with plaster in 1525, after which it served as a gun store. In 1624 it was divided into two floors.

Flagellation

In 1865, the then owner Lieutenant Colonel Matthäus Pfau discovered the paintings and had them uncovered. The next owner Eduard Bodmer had it restored and partially supplemented. Between 1992 and 1996, they were examined and preserved on behalf of the cantonal monument preservation authorities.

In addition to the images from the life of Regula, various saints are depicted, as well as an annunciation scene and an adoration image with the three kings. The style of the paintings in the nave and choir suggest a workshop from the Lake Constance region, while the pictures in the side choir are from a local painter from northeastern Switzerland.

In the 15th century, the imperial insignia is said to have been kept in an iron-studded chest in the castle chapel .

"Iron Maiden"

Iron Maiden

Probably the most famous exhibit in the Kyburg is the Iron Maiden . It was acquired from a castle in Carinthia by the then owner Matthäus Pfau in 1876 and set up to attract visitors to the castle. She was held in the torture chamber until 1999. It is a thin, iron-covered wooden structure with a height of 2.37 meters. Today it is in the knight's house.

The iron maiden, however, was not a medieval instrument of torture; contemporary sources do not mention them, and the material used does not date from the Middle Ages. In addition, the spines are aimed at a person who is more than two meters tall.

Events

Every summer the Kyburgiade , an international chamber music festival, takes place in the courtyard of the Kyburg, weather permitting . In bad weather, the concerts will be moved to different rooms in Winterthur .

  • Entrance area and bridge to the main portal

  • Coat of arms and imperial eagle

  • Main portal

literature

  • August Corrodi : An imperial castle in the republic . In: The Gazebo . Issue 24, 1863, pp. 372–375 ( full text [ Wikisource ] - illustrated by R. Püttner).
  • Bruno Boesch : Kyburg. Riddle of a castle name. In: Maria Bindschedler u. a. (Ed.): Festschrift for Paul Zinsli. Francke, Bern 1971, pp. 161-169
  • Heinrich Boxler: The naming of castles in northeastern Switzerland and in Graubünden. 2nd Edition. Arbon 1991.
  • Dione Flühler-Kreis (Ed.): Traces of time. 800 years of life on the Kyburg. Association Museum Schloss Kyburg, 1999.
  • Hans Martin Gubler: The art monuments of the canton of Zurich , Volume III .: The districts of Pfäffikon and Uster. Basel 1978.
  • Hans Martin Gubler: Kyburg ZH. Bern 1997.
  • Fritz Hauswirth: Castles and Palaces of Switzerland. Volume 4: Zurich, Schaffhausen. Kreuzlingen 1968.
  • Werner Meyer (Red.): Castles of Switzerland. Volume 5. Silva Verlag, Zurich 1983.
  • Ueli Müller: Kyburg (county, castle). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Werner Wild: The medieval buildings on the Kyburg, Canton Zurich. An inventory with new knowledge. In: Mittelalter , Zeitschrift des Schweizerischen Burgenverein, 8, 2003/3, pp. 61–98.

Web links

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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A-Objects ZH 2018 . Swiss inventory of cultural assets of national importance. In: babs.admin.ch / kulturgueterschutz.ch. Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP - Department of Cultural Property Protection, January 1, 2018, accessed on December 26, 2017 (PDF; 163 kB, 32 pages, updated annually, no changes for 2018).
  2. ^ Bruno Boesch: Kyburg. Riddle of a castle name. In: Maria Bindschedler u. a. (Ed.): Festschrift for Paul Zinsli. Bern 1971, p. 164; Heinrich Boxler: The naming of castles in northeastern Switzerland and in Graubünden. 2nd edition, Arbon 1991, passim; Lexicon of Swiss community names , Frauenfeld / Neuenburg 2005, p. 493.
  3. ^ Werner von Kyburg
  4. ↑ Nanina Egli: “Homelike domesticity” on “the desolate mountain castle”. Bourgeois living in a feudal habitat, 1865–1877. In: Christoph Conrad, Joachim Eibach, Brigitte Studer, Simon Teuscher (eds.): Housing and the economy of space (= Swiss Yearbook for Economic and Social History. Volume 28). Chronos Verlag , Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-0340-1202-7 , p. 206.
  5. ^ Ueli Müller: Kyburg (county, castle). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  6. ↑ Dione Flühler-Kreis (Ed.): Zeitspuren. 800 years of life on the Kyburg. Association Museum Schloss Kyburg, 1999, p. 18.
  7. ↑ Dione Flühler-Kreis (Ed.): Zeitspuren. 800 years of life on the Kyburg. Association Museum Schloss Kyburg, 1999, pp. 18–20.
  8. ↑ Dione Flühler-Kreis (Ed.): Zeitspuren. 800 years of life on the Kyburg. Association Museum Schloss Kyburg, 1999, p. 28.
  9. ↑ Doris Warger, Raphael Sennhauser: The Kyburg Castle Chapel and its wall paintings (= Swiss Art Guide. No. 664). Society for Swiss Art History , Bern 1999, ISBN 978-3-85782-664-1 .
  10. ↑ Dione Flühler-Kreis (Ed.): Zeitspuren. 800 years of life on the Kyburg. Association Museum Schloss Kyburg, 1999, p. 34.