Alt-Schauenburg Castle
| Alt-Schauenburg Castle | |
|---|---|
Ruine Alt-Schauenburg | |
| Chleiflüeli, Frenkendorf | |
 Alt-Schauenburg from the south, shield wall and entrance | |
  Alt-Schauenburg Castle | |
| Coordinates | 47°29′44.0″N 7°40′23.7″E / 47.495556°N 7.673250°E |
| Type | hill castle, spur castle |
| Code | CH-BL |
| Height | 640 m above the sea |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Preserved walls |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1275/1280 |
| Materials | Stone |
Alt-Schauenburg is a ruined castle in the commune of Frenkendorf, Switzerland. It is located near the border of France and Germany, and little of the castle remains because of geological events.[1]
History[edit]
There were two Schauenburg castles near Frenkendorf, Alt (or Old)-Schauenburg about 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of the village on the top of Chleiflüeli hill and Neu (or New)-Schauenburg to the west. Alt-Schauenburg was probably built around 1275 as the seat of a junior branch of the Schauenburg family. The castle was occupied for less than a century. The 1356 Basel earthquake destroyed much of the castle and shortly thereafter the ruins were abandoned. The ruins were gradually buried, until 1949-50 when they were excavated and repaired. In 1976-77 additional construction helped preserve the site.[2]
Origin of the name[edit]
Neu-Schauenburg was built before Alt-Schauenburg, but because Alt-Schauenburg was destroyed and abandoned first, it came to be known as the old or alt- castle.
Castle site[edit]
Many of the walls are still standing following the two conservation projects. The southern approach was guarded by a shield wall. One corner of the wall was protected by a semi-circular avant-corps. Inside the shield wall, the castle tower and residence hall were rectangular.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Schauenburg Castle, Switzerland, Basel". Trip Tern. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Schauenburg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.