Hegi Castle

The Hegi Castle lies to the east of the city of Winterthur in the canton of Zurich. It is a typical example of a late- Gothic mansion in north-eastern Switzerland. The name derives from the word Hag; Zurich German for fence.

History

As a builder of the plant, the Lords of Hegi, which are first mentioned in 1225 by I. Wetzel apply. The castle stood on the land of the Bishop of Constance, whose ministerial were the masters of Hegi. In addition, she worked for the abbot of the monastery Peterhausen as Meier in Wiesendangen and possessed Kyburgs, and later Habsburg fief. The last male representative of the family, Hugo IV, handed over the castle in 1460 by Jacob Hohenlandenberg, the husband of his sister Barbara. Under Jacob's sons and Hugo Ulrich Hegi has been greatly expanded. Hugo, the most important representative of the family, was from 1496 to 1532 Bishop of Constance.

1519 came the reign Hegi through the marriage of Barbara of Hohenlandenberg with Kaspar von Hallwyl in possession of Aargau family. Hans von Hallwyl acquired the lower jurisdiction over the village and buys Hegi added other rights, which Hegi became the center of a small rule. 1587 prevented the city of Zurich to sell the castle at Winterthur. She bought it myself and taught in an upper bailiwick. Nevertheless Hegi was a fief of the Bishopric of Constance.

After the end of the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1798 the Hegi Castle first came into possession of the Fahrner family, then to various other owners. 1915 the castle came into the possession of the Zurich history professor Frederick Hegi - Naef ( 1878-1930 ).

1947, the city acquired Winterthur for CHF 358'000 the castle. She made it to the public and opened a youth hostel, which was closed in 2000 in parts of the building in 1953. Today, the castle serves as a museum and is used by the club Hegi Castle for cultural events.

On old pictures, a nursery is shown on the east side. 2012 a new garden with old vegetables has been created according to this model. In a second stage to be built in the south a Strauss and herb garden. A collaboration with the universities of teacher education Zurich and Northeast Switzerland is sought.

Architectural History

The construction history can be divided into three stages. A tower with a floor plan from 9 to 10 meters and 1.6 meter thick walls is the center and is also the oldest part of the plant. Before 1707 he wore a wooden clerestory and was originally accessible only through a high input on the north side. Later direct accesses were created by the adjacent buildings.

Through the brothers Ulrich and Hugo von Landsberg Castle Hegi was fundamentally redesigned in 1500. They left to build on the north side of the three-story house Ritter, a 28 meter long timber-framed. On the other three sides with a wall was built and at three corners round towers were built, but have more symbolic than defensive character.

They built the two-story hexagonal chapel tower at the northeast corner. The entire facility was surrounded by a moat, which was fed by an arm of the Eulach. In the 18th century it was refilled. Whether the tower was formerly surrounded by a moat, is uncertain. The chronicler John Stumpf designated 1548 the castle Hegi as Weiherhaus.

Among the Zurich Reeves 1613 covered under Johann Jakob Gessner on the west side of the residential tower in the courtyard and thereby incurred the new building, the Gessner house, stables and rooms equipped for servants. Probably a little later was built on the south side of the front building, which in 1805 acquired its present appearance. 1707 was the wooden clerestory of the old tower house in a fire. He was replaced with a walled- up floor and provided with a gable roof. 1805 has been redesigned, the input side to the designs of Hans Conrad Bluntschli ( 1737-1812 ).

Frederick Hegi - Naef let restore prudent 1915-1930 the castle. It also disturbing additions were removed from an earlier period.

1924 after restoration

The " late Gothic Room " with its vaulted wood ceiling on the first floor dates from around 1500 and was brought back from the Museum of Stein am Rhein to Hegi. The green tiled relief dates from the early 17th century and in 1919 brought out Wagenhausen into the castle.

The " Lower Vogt room " with her ​​paintings and stained glass windows from the 17th century is located on the first floor. In the window reveal the arms of alliance Hohenlandenberg - Hegi and are shown Hohenlandenberg - of Mülinen. Decorative stained glass windows and the 1919 restored frescoes are attributed to Hans Haggenberg. The green tower furnace dates from the late 16th century; He was brought from Rheineck to Hegi.

The " Upper Vogt room " is on the second floor. There are remains of carvings from the Church of Erlenbach, which were created in 1496 by Blesy Wercher On the ceiling of the hall. The painted wall sayings date from the 17th century, the remains of frescoes dating back to 1512 from the Church of Turbenthal. The colored coats of arms dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The " Upper Chapel ", a polygonal room with achtteiligem stellar vault was probably built by Hugo's father Jacob of Hohenlandenberg.

Upper Vogt room

Gewändemalerei

Gothic room

Roof space