Trachselwald Castle
Encyclopedia
Trachselwald Castle is a castle
in the municipality
of Trachselwald
in the canton
of Bern, Switzerland
. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance
.
The name of the rulers of the castle was first mentioned in 1131; at first it belonged to the baron
s of Trachselwald, then to the barons of Rüti bei Lyssach
, and then those of Sumiswald
. The barons of Sumiswald sold the rule of the castle to the city of Bern. It turned the castle into a sheriff
hood.
The castle is an imperial castle which was changed several times. Its oldest parts are the keep
, which was built out of tuff
, and one half of the main building. These parts of the castle were built in the second half of the 12th century. The stair tower was probably built by a master craftsman
from Prismell in 1641. Now the castle is the governor's seat of the district
of Trachselwald
.
During the Swiss peasant war of 1653
, the peasant leader Niklaus Leuenberger
, who was arrested on June 19, 1653 was held in Castle Trachselwald until being taken to Bern, where he was executed on August 27.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the municipality
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
of Trachselwald
Trachselwald
Trachselwald is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the Swiss canton of Bern.- History :The name of this municipality means "Drechsler-Wald" and was first mentioned in 1131...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Bern, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
The name of the rulers of the castle was first mentioned in 1131; at first it belonged to the baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s of Trachselwald, then to the barons of Rüti bei Lyssach
Rüti bei Lyssach
Rüti bei Lyssach is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Rüti bei Lyssach is located at above sea level, as the crow flies west of the district capital Burgdorf. Rüti bei Lyssach has an area, , of . Of this area, or 84.5% is...
, and then those of Sumiswald
Sumiswald
Sumiswald is a municipality in the district of the Emmental administrative district in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.-Geography:Sumiswald has an area, , of . Of this area, or 47.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 46.3% is forested...
. The barons of Sumiswald sold the rule of the castle to the city of Bern. It turned the castle into a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
hood.
The castle is an imperial castle which was changed several times. Its oldest parts are the keep
Keep
A keep 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 castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, which was built out of tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
, and one half of the main building. These parts of the castle were built in the second half of the 12th century. The stair tower was probably built by a master craftsman
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
from Prismell in 1641. Now the castle is the governor's seat of the district
Districts of Switzerland
In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton iscompletely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed...
of Trachselwald
Trachselwald (district)
Trachselwald District was a district in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. Its governor's seat was in Trachselwald Castle in Trachselwald. It consisted of 10 municipalities within an area of 191 km².- External links :- References :...
.
During the Swiss peasant war of 1653
Swiss peasant war of 1653
The Swiss peasant war of 1653 was a popular revolt in the Old Swiss Confederacy at the time of the Ancien Régime. A devaluation of Bernese money caused a tax revolt that spread from the Entlebuch valley in the Canton of Lucerne to the Emmental valley in the Canton of Bern and then to the cantons of...
, the peasant leader Niklaus Leuenberger
Niklaus Leuenberger
thumbNiklaus Leuenberger was a leader of the Swiss peasant war of 1653.He signed the Treaty of Mellingen along with Christian Schybi on June 4, 1653....
, who was arrested on June 19, 1653 was held in Castle Trachselwald until being taken to Bern, where he was executed on August 27.