Erlach Castle: A Medieval Stronghold in Switzerland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Switzerland
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page4 sections
History
Erlach Castle is a medieval castle in Switzerland, in the municipality of Erlach, built around 1090–1100 by Burkart von Fenis, Bishop of Basel. Its history reflects the changing feudal authorities that governed the town and its surrounding estates, and it is now listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
From the Counts of Nidau to Savoy
In 1224, the castle and the town of Erlach became the property of the Counts of Nidau, a medieval noble family that held authority in the region. In 1265, Peter II of Savoy brought the counts and their castle under the feudal authority of the House of Savoy, a major European ruling dynasty whose territories extended through parts of the western Alps and surrounding regions. He appointed a warden to occupy the castle and administer its estates.
The knights who served as wardens took their name from the castle and town and became known as the von Erlach family. The family later produced prominent leaders, including Rudolf von Erlach, the victorious Swiss commander at the Battle of Laupen, a major medieval conflict involving the Swiss Confederacy and the Duchy of Burgundy. By 1300, the von Erlachs were citizens of Bern.
Administration by Savoy and the de Chalon family
After Isabella of Neuchatel, widow of the last Count of Nidau, died in 1395, Erlach came under the direct administration of the House of Savoy. In 1407, Savoy mortgaged the town to the de Chalon family, a medieval noble family associated with Burgundy and nearby territories.
Bernese conquest
Bernese troops conquered Erlach in 1474 during the Burgundian Wars, a late-fifteenth-century series of conflicts involving the Swiss Confederacy and the Duchy of Burgundy. Erlach then remained under the control of the city of Bern. Rudolf von Erlach, who had previously served as castellan for the de Chalon family, became the first governor of the newly captured district. A castellan was an official responsible for occupying and administering a castle and managing its attached lands.
