Ruine Tegerfelden: A Medieval Hilltop Castle in Switzerland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Switzerland
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Ruine Tegerfelden is the remains of a medieval hilltop castle in Switzerland. Built toward the end of the eleventh century, the fortress stood on a rocky spur of the Ruckfeld and was held by the Barons of Tegerfelden.
The Barons of Tegerfelden
The family’s male line ended with Walter III of Tegerfelden, who was last documented in 1254. His heiress Ita had already taken possession of her paternal inheritance in 1236 with her husband, Ulrich of Klingen. Konrad of Tegerfeld was later among the conspirators involved in the murder of Albrecht I, a Habsburg ruler and King of the Romans, in 1308. Johann Parricida, also known as John of Swabia, participated in that assassination.
Fire, rebuilding, and destruction
A fire destroyed the castle in the late twelfth century, after which it was rebuilt in a more substantial form. A half-timbered building with a cellar was added in the early thirteenth century. The castle was probably destroyed by another fire around 1250 and was not rebuilt.
A document from 1269 already described Tegerfelden Castle as a ruin. In that year, Walther of Klingen, with the consent of his wife and daughters, sold property at Tegerfelden to Eberhard, the medieval bishop of Constance, whose ecclesiastical authority extended across the area. The property included the place where a castle had formerly stood, still surrounded by a defensive bulwark.
Archaeological investigation and conservation
Archaeological investigations took place between 1948 and 1958. The tower, part of the enclosing curtain wall, and the stone base of one building were conserved, while other excavated sections were covered again. Additional conservation work followed in 1966, 1971, 1986, and 2008.
Remains
Ruine Tegerfelden occupies a rocky spur of the Ruckfeld. The castle was arranged as a hilltop fortress, with defensive features on the uphill side and buildings constructed in different materials during successive building phases. The surviving remains include the tower, a section of the curtain wall, and the stone base of one house.
Early fortress
In the first construction phase, the manor house was built of stone, while the other buildings were wooden. The uphill approach was probably protected by a palisade, a barrier made from upright wooden stakes, and two ditches. These features formed the defensive setting of the original castle.
Rebuilt castle
Following the late-twelfth-century fire, the castle included a stone tower, a stone curtain wall, and another stone building. The curtain wall was the enclosing defensive wall linking the castle’s main fortified points. Two half-timbered buildings, constructed with structural wooden frames and infill between the timbers, also stood within the complex. One of these buildings had a cellar and was added in the early thirteenth century.
Surviving structures
The conserved tower remains, part of the curtain wall, and the stone base of one building provide the principal visible fabric of the ruined castle. Other sections uncovered during excavation were reburied, while further conservation in 1966, 1971, 1986, and 2008 helped preserve the surviving structures.
