Hallwyl Castle
Encyclopedia
Hallwyl Castle is one of the most important moat
ed castles in Switzerland
. It is located on two islands in the River Aabach, near the northern end of Lake Hallwil
in the municipality
of Seengen
in the canton
of Aargau
. Since 1925, it has been open to the public, and since 1994 it has been owned by the canton of Aargau and is part of the museum of Aargau.
was expanded. In the early 14th century the dry ditch was converted into a moat. The old castle tower was surrounded by a moat and a wall on what became the Rear Island. To the east of the Rear Island, an artificial island was built in the River Aabach. This island, the Front Island, was outfitted with a curtain wall
, and was occupied by residential and commercial buildings. During the conquest of Aargau in 1415 by the Swiss Confederation
, the castle (which was known after 1369 as the Ganerbenburg) was burnt by the Bernese troops. The castle was immediately rebuilt and expanded. After the construction of two turrets in 1500 and 1579-1590 there was an extensive general renovation. After long neglect, the castle was partly rebuilt in neo-Gothic style
in 1861 and 1870-74. However, this project was mostly reversed in 1914.
In 1925 the family foundation made an effort to preserve the castle. Since 1994, it has been in possession of the Canton of Aargau. Excavations and building research, led by Swedish archaeologist Nils Lithberg, were carried out in 1910-16 on behalf of Wilhelmina of Hallwyl. Further research, which came up with new dates, was done by the Canton of Aargau Archaeology in 1995-2003.
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed castles in Switzerland
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....
. It is located on two islands in the River Aabach, near the northern end of Lake Hallwil
Lake Hallwil
Lake Hallwil is a lake in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, located at . It lies mostly in the districts of Lenzburg and Kulm on the southern edge of the canton. The southern tip of the lake reaches into the canton of Luzern....
in the 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 Seengen
Seengen
Seengen is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Seengen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 32.3% is forested...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
. Since 1925, it has been open to the public, and since 1994 it has been owned by the canton of Aargau and is part of the museum of Aargau.
History
The first mention of the castle is in the year 1256. However, the originally free-noble family of Hallwyl were first mentioned in a testament from 1167. Some discoveries indicate that the castle was founded in the late 12th century. Hallwyl Castle was the home castle of the Lords of Hallwyl, who owned the surrounding land and parts of the lake as their personal property. It consisted of a residential tower with a dry moat. In 1265 the keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
was expanded. In the early 14th century the dry ditch was converted into a moat. The old castle tower was surrounded by a moat and a wall on what became the Rear Island. To the east of the Rear Island, an artificial island was built in the River Aabach. This island, the Front Island, was outfitted with a curtain wall
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
, and was occupied by residential and commercial buildings. During the conquest of Aargau in 1415 by the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, the castle (which was known after 1369 as the Ganerbenburg) was burnt by the Bernese troops. The castle was immediately rebuilt and expanded. After the construction of two turrets in 1500 and 1579-1590 there was an extensive general renovation. After long neglect, the castle was partly rebuilt in neo-Gothic style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
in 1861 and 1870-74. However, this project was mostly reversed in 1914.
In 1925 the family foundation made an effort to preserve the castle. Since 1994, it has been in possession of the Canton of Aargau. Excavations and building research, led by Swedish archaeologist Nils Lithberg, were carried out in 1910-16 on behalf of Wilhelmina of Hallwyl. Further research, which came up with new dates, was done by the Canton of Aargau Archaeology in 1995-2003.