Birseck Castle

P3

Castle Birseck

The castle is a listed Birseck even ruin Birseck or Birseck Castle, located in the Swiss municipality in the canton of Basel-Landschaft Arlesheim.

• 3.1 edification
• 3.2 decomposition

Location

The castle is located southeast spur above the village on a rocky spur where it surpasses the famous Hermitage Museum. It is a striking landmark of Arlesheim and visible from afar. Today the Birseck Castle and the Hermitage Museum are easy to reach by tram (line 10, station Arlesheim village).

The Birseck castle is called the lower or front castle and is one of four castles in north- south direction along the slope of the Birsebene, the Birseck extend. The upper Birseckburg ( castrum birseke superior) is known as the Castle rich stone, and from the rear and the middle castle ( castrum medium) are only strong crumbled ruins have been preserved with wall remains of a round tower.

On the west, south, northwest and southeast side of the castle Birseck is protected by steep, rocky terrain. In this site there is also the largest English landscape garden of Switzerland, the Hermitage. Access to the castle was originally from the northeast, but is now also possible through the Hermitage.

Oldest burial of Switzerland

In the cave - Ermitage Birseck the oldest neolithic burial of Switzerland was found. Between 5400 and 5000 BC was here a 30 - to 40 - year-old man buried in a supine position with drawn extremities. The stacked stones at his feet are probably be interpreted as a remnant of a grave border. Although the grave contained no grave goods; the attracted extremities of the dead but recall the findings on the large Linear Pottery cemeteries in Central Europe, including the dating fits.

Plant

The castle of the considered front Birseck castle consists of a main castle, which is a ruin, as well as a weakly fortified bailey, which today houses a farm estate with dwelling house and used farm buildings. For the separation of core and built a one trench was broken in the rock, which was spanned by a drawbridge. The whole is surrounded by an irregular solid ring wall, which has a small tower near the gate.

After in 2000 the northern part of the enclosure wall partially collapsed and other parts of the plant were in danger of collapsing, first restoration works were carried out in the same year. A second renovation phase followed in 2005, when a archaeological building analysis was performed.

The castle is one of the foundation Ermitage Arlesheim and Castle Birseck.

Since 2007 the castle is Birseck again open to visitors.

History

Edification

The origins of the castle go back probably to the Earl of Frohnburg who sought an expansion in the southern Sisgau after the middle of the 12th century. As a counter measure, the Bishop of Basel Lüthold 1239 bought the castle hill from Niedermünster monastery. During the confrontation, the bishop built 1243/44, the present castle Birseck. Many discovered the oldest preserved masonry stones, clear burn marks were discovered. These give rise to the suspicion that there had been an earlier building, but was then completely replaced during construction 1243/44 ( under the re- usable stones). The reasons for the fire (warm abortion, accident, a result of the conflict ) are unknown.

It was only in 1245 refrained Ludwig von Frohnburg Castle Birseck - and also to the neighboring castle rich stone. It was used on it by the bishops as a temporary residence, and in 1270 the Bishop Heinrich von Neuenburg even invited the Pope to the castle one. When Basel earthquake of 1356, the castle suffered several damages: several cracks in today's masonry may be due to the fact. The recognizable after that date in building material, reused, brandgeröteten limestones, suggest that - had done a great fire damage - possibly as a result of the quake. Since the importance of the plant had taken the money and the bishops became scarce, they pledged the castle in 1373 to the Lords of Ramstein. 1435 was the solution of the pledge, and the castle was used afterwards by the episcopal bailiffs. In the 15th ( crenellated upper floors ) and 17th century (larger gate system, increase in the housing unit, construction of the chapel ), the castle was expanded and served during the Counter-Reformation Bishop Christoph Blarer about 1600 times as staging. Middle of the 18th century replaced a stone bridge which ensures maintenance- intensive drawbridge.

Decay

In the 18th century the castle was poorly maintained and could not be used as a representative, stately seat finally. Therefore, Karl von Andlau moved in 1763 his bailiff seat from the castle down to the village. However, the operation continues on the farm on a smaller scale, such as the 2005 discovered year 1776 shows over a passage. During the French Revolution, some parts of the neighboring English Garden, the Hermitage and the building of the castle of drunken peasants were plugged or destroyed in fire in 1793. In 1794 the ruins Birseck were auctioned off as national and exploited as a quarry.

1808 acquired by Conrad Andlau, the son of Charles of Andlau, and canon Heinrich von Ligerz the ruins. Tower and chapel were put back in state in the then prevailing idealized neo-Gothic style and therefore do not present themselves more authentic today. In the course of that restoration work and the Knights' Hall and crenellations were then built.