The Grynau tower and barn as seen from the present Linth canal towards Obersee lake shoreThe stone bridge and St. Gallerstrasse towards TuggenThe 1995 bridge and Grynaustrasse towards Uznach
The castle respectively the tower is situated at the then only bridge over the Linth river, in the east of the former, dried up Tuggenersee lakeshore, at the southern end of the Buechberg hill in the municipality of Tuggen in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. Since the correction of the Linth river, the Fridgraben and the St. Gallerstrasse, a road towards Tuggen, and the Linth canal and the Grynaustrasse towards Uznach separate the property also from the former Linth river. The Linth canal respectively the Grynau tower also marks the historical border between the cantons of Schwyz and St. Gallen.
History
tower, accommodation building and the bridge in 1786, i.e. before the correction of the Linth river occurred
Built probably in the early 13th century AD by the House of Rapperswil, the castle secured the strategically important river crossing in the area between the Grafschaft Rapperswil and the House of Toggenburg. The property was documented in 1311, when the castle was taken by force by Rudolf von Laufenburg-Rapperswil probably from the Toggenburg family. It's again mentioned on the occasion of the battle of Grynau on 21 September 1337, when Count Johann I was killed: Graf Diethelm von Toggenburg moved with a fleet, numerous soldiers and siege material from Zürich over the Obersee to the Grynau Castle, which at that time was still located at the confluence of the Linth river in the former Tuggenerse. The castle was a base of the "outer Zürich" (äusseres Zürich) alliance of 1336 in the feud of the House of Rapperswil against the city of Zürich. Although they thereby passed the city of Rapperswil, the Zürich troops were convinced not to be bothered, due to their large number. Hidden by the lake shore Buchberg, Graf Johann landed soldiers, and from the wooded eastern slope of the mountain, they raided the Zürich troops carelessly encamped at the Grinau Castle, who, leaderless, fled to their ships, and Graf Diethelm was taken as a prisoner. As the Zürich troops noted that Graf Johann had just a handful of soldiers, they competed for the counterattack, and killed Johann von Habsburg-Rapperswil; Diethelm was killed by Johann's abiders.[1] Thereafter, the castle was sold by the sons of Count Johann I (among them Johann II von Rapperswil) around 1343/47 to Friedrich V von Toggenburg,[2] but after the extinction of the House of Rapperswil, in 1436/37 the property including all rights – especially the bridge toll – passed to the Old Swiss Confederacy; it was claimed by the canton of Schwyz, to control all traffic between the Eastern and Central Switzerland, as well as between the city republic of Zürich and the Gotthard Pass.
Gräfin Elssbeth von Toggenburg, née von Maetsch, was mentioned as sole heir in two documents of the city council of Zürich, and she certified on 31 October 1436, in view of the diverse services by Zürich for Fridrich, and given the fact that a widow requires special protection, with help of her uncle and legal counsel, Fridrich of Hewen, the she gave over to the city of Zürich as property the towns Utznang, Schmerikon and Utznangerberg (a castle on the Uznach mountain) with all its rights. The transfer is valid "zuo stund" (now), and the inhabitants of the territories have to swear to the people of Zürich until next Hilariustag (13 January 1437); the Countess maintained all servitudes by lifetime. The privileges and the tradition of the (Toggenburg) residents will be respected, notably with regard to the so-called third penny in inheritances and the so-called Kirchsatz; Zürich will also not impose any taxes. The commitment, Count Fridrich has concluded with Schwyz, related to the tower at Grinow will by complyed by Elisabeth.[3] On 16 February 1437 Elisabeth von Matsch granted the mayor and council of the city of Zürich or their representatives the authority to act on their behalf, immediately after the usurpations of lands of the Toggenburg County by the cantons of Schwyz and Glarus, and to lock Grynow.[4]
In the summer of 1799, the French and Austrian troops fought in the Second Coalition War at the strategically important bridge which was destroyed three times, and rebuilt, and occupied by the French troops in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Zurich. Again in 1833, Swiss federal troops were concentrated at the Grynau castle, on occasion of the then planned division of the canton of Schwyz, however, waived without an armed intervention. And again in a Swiss civil war, the so-called Sonderbundskrieg, federal troops crossed the important bridge in March 1847, without a single dead soldier on both sides.
In 1849 respectively 1879 the remaining buildings, the tower, the adjacent barn and the former accommodation building, were bought for then 35,000 Swiss Francs by Schlossvogt Kälin,[5] who rebuilt the surrounding building into the Landgasthof Schloss Grynau, a country inn, which is still held by the family.[6]
Architecture
First mentioned in 1253 as Chrinecum and 1290 respectively 1293 as Grinowe,[2] it's not known when the castle was built, but the architecture dates back to the early 13th-century. The five-story tower measures 12.5 x 12.5 metres (41ft), the foundation walls are 2.2 metres (7ft) meters thick. The current access through a door on the ground floor was excavated in the 17th century; the original high entrance was on the 2nd floor on the southern side, and the castle was rebuilt as a mansion. The castle was between 1807 and 1816 widely rebuilt on occasion of the construction of the Linth channel; the road and bridge cross as of today in between the preserved tower and the former economic structures that were widely broken. In 1906 a fire broke out in the barn, which was adjacent to the tower and destroyed the roof and the interior of the tower. The castle tower was re-decorated and re-roofed and a new barn built in the following year.[5] The damaged 1900s fresco on the southeastern tower wall shows the fight between the brothers Suito and Scheyo, the legendary 'founders' of the Canton of Schwyz.
Suito and Scheyo fresco
Grynau tower and the 1907 barn
the original elevated entrance and the 17th-century ground level door
the peaked roof that was added in 1906
The building ensemble Grinau tower, the built-in chapel, Landgasthof Schloss Grinau and the bridgehead situation is impressive. The portal of the chapel of the 14 Nothelfer (literally: Holy Helpers) bears the date 1675, the concrete railway bridge crossing Linthkanal dates from 1995, and a stone bridge leads over the narrow bed of the old Linth river.[7]
Albert Jörger: Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Schwyz. Neue Ausgabe, Volume II: Der Bezirk March. Basel 1989, ISBN3909158226.
Related Research Articles
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or Zürichsee can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Seedamm at Rapperswil, whilst the part upstream of Rapperswil may be called the Obersee or Upper Lake.
The canton of St. Gallen, also canton of St Gall, is a canton of Switzerland. The capital is St. Gallen.
The counts of Toggenburg ruled the Toggenburg region of today's canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and adjacent areas during the 13th to 15th centuries.
Uznach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg, was the last of the Counts of Toggenburg who ruled in what would become Switzerland. His death without heirs or a will led to the Old Zürich War.
Rapperswil is a former municipality and since January 2007 part of the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, located at the east side of the Lake Zurich.
Rapperswil Castle is a castle, built in the early 13th century AD by the House of Rapperswil in the former independent city of Rapperswil.
Rüti Monastery was a former Premonstratensian monastery, founded in 1206 and suppressed in 1525 on occasion of the Reformation in Zürich, situated in the municipality of Rüti in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. The monastery's church was the final resting place of the Counts of Toggenburg, among them Count Friedrich VII and 13 other members of the Toggenburg family, and other noble families. Between 1206 and 1525, the monastery comprised 14 incorporated churches and the owner of extensive lands and estates at 185 localities.
Altendorf Castle was a medieval hill castle in the municipality of Altendorf in the canton of Schwyz. On the foundation of the round castle chapel stands the choir of the chapel of St. Johann.
The Toggenburg War, also known as the Second War of Villmergen or the Swiss Civil War of 1712, was a Swiss civil war during the Old Swiss Confederacy from 12 April to 11 August 1712. The Catholic "inner cantons" and the Imperial Abbey of Saint Gall fought the Protestant cantons of Bern and Zürich as well as the abbatial subjects of Toggenburg. The conflict was a religious war, a war for hegemony in the Confederacy and an uprising of subjects. The war ended in a Protestant victory and upset the balance of political power within the Confederacy.
The House of Rapperswil respectively Counts of Rapperswil ruled the upper Zürichsee and Seedamm region around Rapperswil and parts of, as of today, Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Glarus, Zürich and Graubünden when their influence was most extensive around the 1200s until the 1290s. They acted also as Vogt of the most influential Einsiedeln Abbey in the 12th and 13th century, and at least three abbots of Einsiedeln were members of Rapperswil family.
Elisabeth von Rapperswil was the last countess of the House of Rapperswil, and secured by her second marriage the female line of the Counts of Rapperswil and the extensive possessions of Rapperswil in the former Zürichgau to the Laufenburg line. Her son by first marriage was Reichsvogt Wernher von Homberg, and her oldest son by second marriage was Count Johann von Habsburg-Laufenburg who passed over the title of the count of Rapperswil to his oldest son Johann II and his brothers Rudolf and Gotfried.
The Obersee is the smaller of the two parts of Zürichsee in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz in Switzerland.
Buechberg is an elongated molasse hill in the Swiss cantons of Schwyz and St. Gallen on Obersee lakeshore.
Johann I von Habsburg-Laufenburg was the Count of Habsburg-Laufenburg and later Count of the House of Rapperswil.
Elisabeth von Matsch was the last countess of the Swiss noble House of Toggenburg and wife of Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg.
Johann II von Habsburg-Laufenburg was the Count of Habsburg-Laufenburg and later Count of the House of Rapperswil.
Uster Castle is a hill castle which was built probably around 1200 AD by the House of Rapperswil in the Swiss municipality of Uster in the Canton of Zürich. Since 1995 it houses a boarding school.
Reformierte Kirche Rüti is an Evangelical Reformed church in the Swiss municipality of Rüti in the Canton of Zürich. It was built between 1214 and 1219 AD as the Romanesque style church of the then Premonstratensian Kloster Rüti, an abbey that was founded in 1206 by the House of Regensberg and suppressed in 1525 as part of the Reformation in Zürich.
Bubikon Castle or Bubikon Commandery is a castle in the municipality of Bubikon of the Swiss Canton of Zürich. The former Commandery, a medieval monastery of the Knights Hospitaller, is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
1 2 "Grynau" (in German). dickemauern.de. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
↑ "Solide Schlossbeiz" (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
1 2 Inventar der historischen Verkehrswege der Schweiz (IHV), Kanton Schwyz, Strecke SZ 39 (Uznach -) Grinau - Siebnen (- Einsiedeln), Stand Mai 1999.
↑ "A-Objekte KGS-Inventar"(PDF). Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Amt für Bevölkerungsschutz. 2015-01-01. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
