Brunegg castle (german: Schloss Brunegg) is a castle in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Brunegg Brunegg is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. History Brunegg is first mentioned in first half of the 12th century as ''Bruneco''. In 1273 it was mentioned as ''Brunegge''. Brunegg castle was ...

in the canton of

Aargau Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. The castle was built on a hill at the edge of the

Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...

in the 13th century. This castle was probably built, together with Wildegg castle in nearby Wildegg, as part of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

border defenses. The castle was occupied by

knights, including Schenken von Brunegg and Gessler von Meienberg. In 1415 the castle was besieged by

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

ese troops, but they lifted siege after a counterattack. However, Bern conquered the Aargau, and awarded the fief to the Segenser or Segesser family. Between 1538 and 1798, the castle was subordinate to the governor of Lenzburg. In 1815 it became the property of the Hünerwadel family of Lenzburg. The current owners of the castle, the von Salis family, inherited the castle through marriage from the Hünerwadels. For hundreds of years, the castle was poorly maintained, and in the 17th century it was heavily damaged twice through storm and tempest. In 1805–06, the

keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') 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 c ...

and out buildings were repaired and the roof was rebuilt. The village of Brunegg owes its name and existence to the castle. Initially it belonged to the personal land of the Habsburgs. In the 14th century, they granted the rights to

low justice High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents. Low just ...

into the hands of the castle owners. Bern placed in the court of Othmarsingen in the Lenzburg district. In the 19th century it was part of the Brugg district though since 1840 it has been in the Lenzburg district.

References

{{Castles of Aargau Castles in Aargau House of Habsburg

See also

References