Up to the Castle

In the last post, I mentioned Lenzburg Castle, which is visible from the homes of my cousins Ruth and Andre.  It is located in the nearby town of Lenzburg, just two miles away from Othmarsingen.  It is one of the best preserved castles in Switzerland.  Ruth took us there for a visit.

Over the castle's thousand year history it has been added to and renovated frequently, and it has passed through numerous owners.  It began as a hilltop fortification.  The earliest written record of it is in 1077 when it belonged to the Count of Lenzburg.  In the 14th century it passed to the Hapsburg family.  They were to become the most powerful rulers of Europe as the emperors of Austria, but the family had its more humble origins in Switzerland not far from here.  In 1415, the city of Bern took over the region, and the castle became the residence of the Bernese bailiffs who were the overseers of Bern's authority over the area.  The castle continued to be the seat of the bailiffs until the invasion of Napoleon in 1798.  The property later had a series of private owners until it was purchased by the city of Lenzburg and the Canton of Aargau in 1956.  The castle was opened to the public as a museum.

The outer and inner gates of the castle

The courtyard of the castle

From the castle ramparts there are views of the city of Lenzburg and the surrounding countryside.

The Old Town of Lenzburg is directly beneath the castle.

Various rooms of the castle are furnished as they would have been during the period when the bailiffs of Bern lived here.  You can see how over the centuries the accommodations became more luxurious.

In 1893 the castle was purchased by Augustus Jessup, a wealthy American whose wife was related to the British royal family. (She was a great aunt of Queen Elizabeth II.) Jessup renovated the castle with the amenities of the era such as modern bathrooms, electricity and central heating.

Mrs. Jessup's rose garden

From the garden's terrace you can see Othmarsingen in the distance.  You can make out the crane at the construction site near cousin Ruth's house.

 

The Ancestral Village

The day after our excursion to Bern, we took another day trip... a short hop by train to Othmarsingen, the village where my Swiss great-grandmother was born.  It's just a 15 minute ride from Aarau, where we were staying with my cousin Walter.  Two more of my cousins still live in Othmarsingen, Ruth and her brother Andre.

We walked from the train station to Ruth's home.  She fixed us a lovely lunch, and Andre joined us.  He lives next door to Ruth in the house that belonged to their grandparents.

Their houses are at a slight elevation, and from the back yard you can look out across the village and the surrounding countryside.

At the left of the photo, you can see Lenzburg Castle, one of the best preserved castles in the country, perched on a hill.

Unfortunately, they may soon lose their view.  Directly below them an apartment building is under construction.

The little village is experiencing population growth, and on this trip I noticed a number of apartment buildings that were not there on my last visit.  It's just a half hour train ride from here to Zurich, and people are moving to Othmarsingen where the cost of housing is less expensive.

After lunch Ruth took us to Othmarsingen's church.

It was here that my great-grandmother and generations of family before her were baptized.

One of the stained-glass windows indicates that the church was built in 1675.  Also notice the bear, which was the symbol of the city of Bern.  In that era, the region was under the control of officials from Bern.

The church has been well-maintained over the centuries.  It is a beautiful little gem that is listed as a Swiss Heritage Site.

Every time that I visit this church, I get goose bumps thinking of all my ancestors that passed through its door.

A Walk Through Bern

On Tuesday of last week, we took a day's excursion to Switzerland's capital city, Bern, to visit yet another cousin, Hans-Peter.  Long time readers might recall that for a number of years Hans-Peter lived in Bergen, Norway, and worked at the university there.  In 2016 I took a trip to Norway to visit him and his family.  Now he is semi-retired and is living once again in Switzerland.

It was a pleasant 50 minute train ride from Aarau to Bern, and Hans-Peter met us at the station.  We walked to his home, and he showed us the main sights of the city along the way.  Not far from the station is the "Bundeshaus" or Federal Palace where the Swiss Parliament meets.

Entering Bern's Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we see the Clock Tower, one of the city's most photographed landmarks.

The tower dates back to around 1220 as a gate for the city's fortifications.  Over the centuries it has been remodeled numerous times, and the astronomical clock was added in the15th century.

Within the Old Town there are eleven public fountains which feature Renaissance statues dating from the 16th century.

A bear, the symbol of the city, is dressed in medieval armor

Samson slaying a lion

Moses

A statue of a "venner" in full armor.  The "venners" were officials in charge of maintaining the security of the city.

Lady Justice

The "Rathaus" or City Hall was built in the early 1400s.

The Gothic "Münster" or Cathedral was begun in 1421, although its tower was not completed until 1893.  It is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland.  During the Reformation, the Swiss Reformed Church took control of the church.  However, unlike many other churches that were stripped of their decoration after the Reformation, the "Münster" in Bern seems to have retained more of its ornate style.

 

Below the heights of the Old Town, the Aare River flows through Bern.

After our long walk, we arrived at the home of Hans-Peter and his wife Larissa.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and good conversation.

It was almost night when we said our good-byes and took the train back to Aarau.

Another wonderful day with Swiss family!