Frohberg Castle
Encyclopedia
Frohberg Castle is a medieval castle ruin in the Swiss
municipality
of Aesch
in the canton of Basel-Country
.
Werner Meyer noted that the castle was perhaps never quite finished while Carl Roth believed that the castle was damaged during the Basel earthquake of 1356 and was not repaired. In any case, in the 14th Century, the remains were given as a bishop's
fief to the counts of Thierstein-Pfeffingen. This fief was not so much about the ruins, which needed costly repairs, but the assets related to the castle including tax collection and court rights. The Thierstein-Pfeffingens integrated the Frohberg lands into the Herrschaft
of Pfeffingen, which was managed from the nearby Pfeffingen Castle
ruins.
The original name, Vroberg has changed over time in the vernacular into Tschäpperli or Tschöpperli.
On the west and north side is a deep, natural ditch, on the east side there is an artificial moat, while on the south there are walls and ditches. The latter are heavily disturbed by agricultural plowing on the south and west.
The main castle was formed by a housing tract and a curtain wall
. The wall follows the irregularly extending ledge. The massive living area consists of two parts and a smaller west building with irregular floor plan as a residential tower
. The thick walls were up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick and built from rough cut stone. To the east, adjoining the living area, is an elongated building that served as an administrative and residential building. On the northwest and northeast sides the remains of outlying estates are visible.
The entrance to the castle was on the north-west side of the fortress, either through a ramp over the ditch or over a bridge supported by a natural rocks. It is possible that another entrance might have been on the east side.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
municipality
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
of Aesch
Aesch, Basel-Country
Aesch is a municipality in the canton of Basel-Country, Switzerland. The Neolithic gravesite in the Gmeiniwald is listed as a heritage site of national significance.-Prehistoric Aesch:...
in the canton of Basel-Country
Basel-Country
Basel-Landschaft , is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The capital is Liestal...
.
Location
The ruin is on a rocky ridge at the upper end of the Klus valley on the way to the old Platten pass road. It lies near the ruins of Schalberg Castle, the ruins of Engenstein Castle and the ruins of Münchberg Castle. It is the rearmost castle in the Aesch controlled Klus valley and is the of the castles built on the ridge above Aesch.History
The stronghold at Frohberg was first mentioned in 1292 when Conrad I Schaler "de Vroberg" was mentioned. It is likely that the castle was built by the Schaler family in the second half of the 13th Century. Although the castle dominated the way across the Platten pass (between Birseck and Laufental), the location of other castles in the immediate vicinity, suggests that the motivation for the castle was not the collection of tolls, but power games between the families of the Schaler and Münch.Werner Meyer noted that the castle was perhaps never quite finished while Carl Roth believed that the castle was damaged during the Basel earthquake of 1356 and was not repaired. In any case, in the 14th Century, the remains were given as a bishop's
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
fief to the counts of Thierstein-Pfeffingen. This fief was not so much about the ruins, which needed costly repairs, but the assets related to the castle including tax collection and court rights. The Thierstein-Pfeffingens integrated the Frohberg lands into the Herrschaft
Herrschaft (territory)
In the German feudal system, a Herrschaft or Herrlichkeit was the fiefdom of a lord, who in this area exercised his full feudal rights...
of Pfeffingen, which was managed from the nearby Pfeffingen Castle
Pfeffingen Castle
Pfeffingen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Pfeffingen of the Canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
ruins.
The original name, Vroberg has changed over time in the vernacular into Tschäpperli or Tschöpperli.
Castle site
The ruins are widely scattered and consists of an extended main castle, surrounded by different approach obstacles. So far, the ruins have not yet been investigated archaeologically and so only rough interpretations are possible.On the west and north side is a deep, natural ditch, on the east side there is an artificial moat, while on the south there are walls and ditches. The latter are heavily disturbed by agricultural plowing on the south and west.
The main castle was formed by a housing tract and a curtain wall
Castle Walls
"Castle Walls" is a song by American rapper T.I., from his seventh studio album No Mercy. The song features Pop/R&B singer Christina Aguilera, and was produced by Alex da Kid....
. The wall follows the irregularly extending ledge. The massive living area consists of two parts and a smaller west building with irregular floor plan as a residential tower
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
. The thick walls were up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick and built from rough cut stone. To the east, adjoining the living area, is an elongated building that served as an administrative and residential building. On the northwest and northeast sides the remains of outlying estates are visible.
The entrance to the castle was on the north-west side of the fortress, either through a ramp over the ditch or over a bridge supported by a natural rocks. It is possible that another entrance might have been on the east side.