| Worb Castle | |
|---|---|
Schloss Worb | |
| Worb | |
 Worb Castle | |
  Worb Castle | |
| Coordinates | 46°55′53″N7°34′03″E / 46.931363°N 7.567573°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | Before 1130 |
| Built by | The Freiherr de Worvo |
Worb Castle is a castle in the municipality of Worb of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. [1]
The Freiherr de Worvo was first mentioned in 1127, a couple of years before the village appeared in the record. By the second half of the 13th century the Freiherr von Kien had inherited village, lands and Worb Castle. The family ruled over the Worb Herrschaft until 1336 when they became citizens of Bern and the territory came under Bernese authority. Over the following centuries several Bernese noble families ruled over the land and divided and recombined the Herrschaft. [2]
The core of Worb Castle was built before 1130. Initially it had a keep, great hall and a knight's house. In 1469 and again in 1594 it was renovated and repaired. In 1643 a new residential wing was added to the castle. A new ornate manor house was built near the old castle in 1734 by the son of Christoph von Graffenried, Franz Ludwig von Graffenried. [3] This new estate was known as Neuworb but was also called the Neuschloss or New Castle. The two estates were acquired by the Goumoëns-Sinner family in 1846.
In 1954, attorney Hans Seelhofer, age 34, bought the old castle, and took his bride EVA to live there where they added a son and daughter. Eva reflected on Halloween being a favorite time for their children when they stayed overnight in the dungeon area that today still has chains and scribblings on the walls. In 1980, visitors could see the Middle Ages kitchen with utensils still present. The Great Room at the top of the structure housed public art exhibits during Eva Seelhofer's tenure. The Seelhofer family lived in the outer ward that was last renovated in 1746. Hans lamented that there was no tax exclusion for repairs to a private castle, although a historic structure. (The New Castle was bought in 1985 by the von Graffenried family). [2]
Christoph von Graffenried, 1st Baron of Bernberg was a Swiss nobleman and explorer who was one of the founders of New Bern, North Carolina. Born in Worb Castle in the Canton of Bern, he played a major role in the colonisation of North America by German and Swiss settlers. In c. 1716, von Graffenried published a memoir entitled Relation of My American Project, which recounted his life in both Switzerland and North America.
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