Weissenburg Castle (german: Ruine Weissenburg) is a ruined
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 ...
of
Därstetten
Därstetten is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Därstetten is first mentioned in 1228 as ''Tarenchat''. The village of Weissenburg was first mentioned aroun ...
of the
Canton of Bern in
Switzerland.
History
In 1175 the
Freiherr
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...
von Weissenburg was first mentioned as a land holder and vassal of
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
Berthold IV of
Zähringen.
Whether they had a castle at this time is not recorded. When he assumed the title in 1259, Rudolf III of Weissenburg expanded and repaired Weissenburg Castle to its full size. Beginning in the 13th century, the Weissenburgs began to expand their
Herrschaft
The German term ''Herrschaft'' (plural: ''Herrschaften'') covers a broad semantic field and only the context will tell whether it means, "rule", "power", "dominion", "authority", "territory" or "lordship". In its most abstract sense, it refers ...
. Around 1250 they added
Wimmis
Wimmis is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Wimmis is first mentioned in 994 as ''Windemis''.
The oldest traces of a settlement in Wimmis include the Mesol ...
to their territory, followed by
Weissenau Castle in
Unterseen
, neighboring_municipalities= Beatenberg, Därligen, Habkern, Interlaken, Leissigen, Ringgenberg
, twintowns =
}
Unterseen is a historic town and a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canto ...
and the villages of Rothenfluh and Balm a few years later. However, Rudolf III sought closer relations with the
Habsburgs which made an enemy of the nearby town of
Bern. In 1288 he lost a battle at Wimmis against Bern and the village was plundered. Ten years later he quarreled with the Habsburgs and the
Counts of Neu-Kyburg and lost control over the Rothenfluh and Weissenau Castles. Then, in 1303, he fought Bern again, this time protecting Wimmis.
[Burgenwelt.org]
Weissenburg Castle accessed 30 November 2016
Rudolf's son, Johann the Elder, was able to continue expanding the family holdings, adding part of the Hasli valley,
Oberhofen Castle
Oberhofen Castle is a castle in the Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of Oberhofen am Thunersee, Oberhofen of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance, h ...
and
Unspunnen Castle. However, in 1334 he suffered a decisive defeat against Bern and was forced to acknowledge Bern as overlord over the castle and Herrschaft. When his son Johann the Younger died in 1368, the Weissenburg line died out and their estates were inherited by the Lords of Brandis. In the mid-15th century the Lords of Brandis sold all their land holdings in the
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland ( en, Bernese Highlands, german: Berner Oberland; gsw, Bärner Oberland; french: Oberland bernois), the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context ...
including Weissenburg Castle to Bern. Under Bernese rule,
Wimmis Castle became the administrative center of the
Niedersimmental
Niedersimmental District was one of the 26 administrative districts in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. Its capital was the municipality of Wimmis. The district had an area of 319 km² and consisted of 9 municipalities
A municipality is u ...
and Weissenburg was abandoned. Over the following centuries the castle walls were demolished to provide construction material for houses in the village.
[
]
Castle site
The castle is located on a steep hill west of Weissenburg village near the confluence of the Bunsch stream and the Simme river. The castle is protected on three sides by the steep hill, while the gentler west side is guarded by a still visible ditch
A ditch is a small to moderate divot created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ar ...
. Above the ditch portions of a round tower are still visible. The massive south wall and gate are still standing. East of the castle, the foundations of several small houses of the medieval town can be seen.[
]
See also
* List of castles in Switzerland
This list includes castles and fortresses in Switzerland.
Entries list the name and location of the castle, fortress or ruins in each Canton in Switzerland.
Aargau
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Appenzell Innerrhoden
Basel-Landschaft, Bas ...
References
External links
Burgenwelt.org
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weissenburg Castle
Castles in the Canton of Bern