Kasteln Castle
P3
The Kasteln Castle is a castle in the municipality Schinznach in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is located west of the village on a rocky outcrop, surrounded by vineyards and forests. Today it serves as a boarding school for gifted normal, pupils with behavioral difficulties. The immediately adjacent castle Ruchenstein was canceled in 1643 when the castle was converted into a castle Kasteln.
History
Approximately around 1200 came in the middle Schenkenbergertal, only a few kilometers away from the castle Schenkenberg, the castle Kasteln. 1238 Donation of Kasteln were first mentioned in a deed as residents of the castle vassals of Kyburg. 1262 was on the immediately underlying ledge Ruchenstein the castle in which the stemming from the March on upper Lake Zürich Knights of Ruchenstein lived. After the extinction of Kyburg in 1264, the sovereignty of the area went over to the Habsburgs. 1301, the Knights of Ruchenstein the taverns of Kasteln died out ten years later. Both castles were acquired by the Lords of Mülinen from Brugg. From here, they ruled over a small territory on the southern edge of the Jura.
Johann Ludwig von Erlach in 1631 bought the two castles. The Bernese patrician and General ordered in 1642 to the reconstruction of the castle Kasteln to a prestigious castle. The Ruchenstein castle was completely demolished a year later and served as a building material supplier. Because no prior expertise had been sought and the builder was mostly absent, the conversion proved costly affair and lasted until 1650. After Kasteln during a hundred years had been owned by the family von Erlach, the little rule for 90,000 dollars was sold to the city of Bern. It was the smallest of the bailiwick of the Bernese Aargau, consisting of the villages Auenstein, Oberflachs, Schinznach and Villnachern.
After the fall of the Ancien Régime reached the Bernese state domain in 1803 in the possession of the newly formed Canton of Aargau, who sold it in 1836 to the private sector. 1855, Frederick and Louis Dirty brothers from Aarau acquired the property and opened a "rescue institution for orphaned and neglected pupils ' reformed denomination. On August 24, 1907 one of the pupils put the castle and the adjacent barn on fire. Both buildings suffered severe damage and had to be rebuilt; until 1909 the institution operation was resumed in Kasteln
The establishment was given the status of a foundation in 1923 and 1955 was converted into a boarding school for normal gifted students with behavioral problems. 1969 emerged next to the castle a second school house, a swimming pool and a staff house. The entire castle was completely renovated in 2009 inside and out and adapted to the current needs of social pedagogy.
Building
Kasteln is the only uniform baroque palace in the Aargau. Its shape is mainly due to the conversions under Johann Ludwig von Erlach. At the four-storey medieval castle core 1642/50 per a two-storey wing to the west and east was grown. This part also material from the demolished castle Ruchenstein was used. However, in essence, the castle consists of stomachs Wiler limestone. At the same time came to the southeast, the "bear castle "; 1840 left the then owner demolish this part again. The unusually rich interior of the castle was in 1907 when fire lost.