| Blankenburg Castle | |
|---|---|
Schloss Blankenburg | |
| Zweisimmen | |
 South side of Blankenburg Castle | |
  Blankenburg Castle | |
| Coordinates | 46°32′23″N7°23′12″E / 46.5397781°N 7.3867936°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Interessengemeinschaft Schloss Blankenburg |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | c. 1329 |
Blankenburg Castle (German : Schloss Blankenburg) is a castle and administrative center in the municipality of Zweisimmen in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Almost nothing is known about who built the castle or when it was originally built. It first appears in the historical record in 1329 in the possession of the Freiherren von Weissenburg. It was then acquired by the Lords of Tüdingen (Duedingen) and in 1356 became the center of their Herrschaft of Mannenberg-Laubegg. In 1378 the Lord of Düdingen sold the lands and castles to Fribourg following an uprising. After the Battle of Sempach in 1386, Bern conquered the Simmen river valley (Simmental) and acquired Zweisimmen. The Bernese bailiff over the upper Simmen valley was installed at Blankenburg Castle. Blankenburg Castle remained the political center of the Obersimmental district through the 1798 French invasion and the Act of Mediation in 1803. It remained the capital until the district was dissolved in 2009. [1] [2]
In 1767 most of the medieval castle burned to the ground. Niklaus Hebler was appointed to rebuild the historic castle. He used the medieval foundation but built an entirely new building. It now forms an L-shaped building with a two-story corps-de-logis or main building, flanked by a single one-story wing. The front of the building is dominated by a double, covered staircase which is similar to the staircase at the Town Hall of Bern. The front of the building has a raised courtyard with a nearby horse barn. The south side of the castle is raised over the surrounding gardens. [3]
Until 1984, the prison cells of Blankenburg Castle also housed inmates convicted of crimes. In 1919, Blankenburg gained national recognition through the prominent inmate Robert Grimm. [4]
Following the administrative reforms in the Canton of Bern at the end of 2009, the castle was no longer needed by the cantonal government or courts. In December 2010 it was announced that the Canton would sell the castle to the Interessengemeinschaft Schloss Blankenburg for 1.25 million CHF. The association converted it into a meeting and reception center and planned to convert the prison cells into a small kitchen and restaurant. [5] The association took over the building from the Canton on 1 January 2012. [6]
The canton of Bern, or Berne, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the de facto capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the canton, displayed on a red-yellow background.
The Bernese Oberland, sometimes also known as the Bernese Highlands, is the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern. It is one of the canton's five administrative regions. It constitutes the Alpine region of the canton and the northern side of the Bernese Alps, including many of its highest peaks, among which the Finsteraarhorn, the highest in both range and canton.
Oberland was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803), corresponding to the area of the Bernese Oberland, with its capital at Thun.
Zweisimmen is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Erlenbach im Simmental is a municipality in the district of Niedersimmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Oberwil im Simmental is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Wimmis is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Thorberg Castle is a former Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, now a prison, located in Krauchthal in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland.
Kasteln Castle is a castle in the municipality of Oberflachs in Canton Aargau, Switzerland. It is located west of the village on a rocky outcrop, surrounded by vineyards and woods. Today, it serves as a boarding school for students with behavioral problems. The immediately adjacent castle Ruchenstein was demolished in 1643, when the small fort was rebuilt into a Schloss Kasteln.
Wil Castle is a castle from the 13th and 16th century in the municipality of Schlosswil in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. The castle is a popular destination for locals and is a Heritage Site of National Significance. It was the administrative seat of the Konolfingen District.
Oberdiessbach Castle German: Schloss Oberdiessbach is a castle in the municipality of Oberdiessbach of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Thun Castle is a castle in the city of Thun, in the Swiss canton of Bern. It was built in the 12th century, today houses the Thun Castle museum, and is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Schwarzenburg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Schwarzenburg of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Wimmis Castle is a castle in the municipality of Wimmis of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Münsingen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Münsingen of the Canton of Bern, in Switzerland.
Hünigen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Konolfingen of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Oberer Mannenberg Castle is a ruined castle in the municipality of Zweisimmen of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Blankenburg Castle might refer to:
Erlenbach im Simmental railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Erlenbach im Simmental, in the Swiss canton of Bern. It is an intermediate stop on the Spiez–Zweisimmen line and is served by local and regional trains. The station is 850 metres (2,790 ft) east of the valley station of the Stockhornbahn cableway to the top of the Stockhorn.
Blankenburg railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Zweisimmen, in the Swiss canton of Bern. It is an intermediate stop on the 1,000 mm Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line of the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway.
Media related to Schloss Blankenburg at Wikimedia Commons