Aarau is a capital of canton Argau since 1803. It was founded by the count Hartmann von Kyburg in 1248. It served both to protect transfer on Aare River and to define the areas of control against counts von Habsburg north of the Aarau River. Eventually the count Rudolf von Habsburg bought Aarau from the widow Anna von Kyburg. In March 1283 Rudolf von Habsburg granted the Town’s Charter Aarau residents. Aaurau residents established their first own autonomous Town’s Charter in 1301. In 1415 a large part of Aarau was conquered by the city of Berne, so since 18th of April 1415 Aarau fell under the rule of Berne. [1]
The Old Town of Aarau can be divided into two parts – a suburb, so-called Vorstadt, and a fortified Old Town. Presumably, the Upper Gate (Obertor) was built outside the first city circular wall in the times of Kiburg at the beginning of the 13 th century.
On the other side of the “Obertor”begins a fortified Old Town, which buildings are mostly performed in barrock style.
I was also captivated by the beauty of this town.
The Town Hall is made up of different buildings. The oldest one is a residence tower of nobles that is named Rore. Initially it was a separate building fortified by circular walls and ditches and it was free of tax even by the time of town’s foundation in 1240. [1]
Aarau residents bought the tower in 1515, so geographically and politically it became a part of the town, and expended the Tower from three sides to the Town’s Hall. Precious wall- and ceiling panels of the big and small Council Halls from 1520 are preserved till today. The further extensions of the tower were carried out in 1828, 1857 und 1954. A central risalit was newly constructed in 1957, including main facade with Rathausgasse alley view. Town Hall is a place of key events in the history of the canton Argau and Switzerland as the whole such as referendum about joining the Reformation in 1528 and Helvetic Republic foundation in 1798. [1]
City wells provided a drinking water supply to locals in the medieval Aarau. They became a symbol of life and centres of urban settlement. In the Late Middle Ages city wells were decorated with sculptures, so did the city well “Marktbrunnen“, that initially was erected in the City centre.
The previous sculpture of a knight in armor collapsed in 1643. Hans Henz created instead of it the symbol of Lady Justice or Justitia with famous attributes – a sword, a blindfold and a balance and Hans Balthasar Fisch painted the new sculpture. The city well now called “Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen” was abolished in 1905, reconstructed and replaced from the city centre to the square Kirchplatz in 1924.
Clean drinking water for everyone could have been supplied in Aarau only since 1860. Until then most people used to drink polluted water from the town’s wells and town’s water stream, that were supplied with water from the Suhr River. Due to polluted water 81 people died from cholera in Aarau in 1854. Notably since then poor hygienic conditions became a major issue. The streets of the Old Town were paved only partially, public cleaning services of the streets and waste disposal didn’t exist. Lots of families, at the time, kept domesticated animals in the Old Town. Wastewater disposal from private households was still discharged according to the medieval system. After the epidemic outbreak frugal town authorities were compelled to made investments in modern supply of water. [1] Luckily today everyone in Aarau is sure about good quality of the water and can enjoy life to the fullest.
After a new water supply system was launched in Aarau years later the smell of garbage and sewage remained in the town. Although the waste removal service was established at the end of 1850s, that at least kept streets clean, the medieval sewage ditches still remained in the backyards. Keeping domesticated animals for many families was vital, and dung heaps also remained. Worse than just social and spiritual consequences of the medieval disposal system in Aarau were health implications. Aarau residents had been still at risk of epidemic outbreak. Population of Aarau drastically increased due to the industrialisation and thereby the mountain of sewage, notably in the Old Town. This problem could be tackled only by construction of underground sewer, that was finished by 1910. The untreated sewage tiled under the bridge “Kettenbrücke” in the Aare River. Only after the World War II the water pollution became an important issue. The wastewater treatment plant was put in operation in Telli in 1966. Today it treats the sewage from 12 administrative communities [1]
The tower of the medieval castle “Schlössli” dates back to the 11th-12th century and represents the oldest survived building in Aarau. The 17m tall tower with (unbelievable) wall thickness of 3,5 m was made out of boulders [1]
The Hallwyl Castle in canton Argau is an absolutely magnificent sight, a must see on the list of swiss heritage. It dated back to the late 12th century and belonged for hundred of years to many generations of the family Hallwyl, who contributed a lot to the political, scientific and cultural development of Argau and worldwide. I took the first look of the water castle, which left me wondering about all the secrets, which are hidden behind it’s mighty walls.
Lenzburg Castle was mentioned in connection with Ulrich II, Count of Lenzburg, in a document in 1077 for the first time. After he died without heirs in 1773, his heritage passed to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, Barbarossa, and then to the Counts of Kyburg. When the last Count of Kyburg died without male heir, his daughter Anna was married to a relative of the Count of Habsburg. In 1340 the Habsburgs built the the Knight’s Hall and let their liege men to live in the castle. In 1415 the former Habsburg lands were invaded by Bernese and the Castle was converted into the residence of the Bernese Bailiffs. [1]
In the course of the major historic events like the Reformation and the Thirty Years War(1618-1648) the fortifications of the Lenzburg Castle were strengthened. The occupation by french troops in 1798 brought to the end the feudalism. [1]
In 1803 the castle passed to the recently formed canton of Aargau. In 1823 it was leased to Christian Lippe, a german theologian and pedagogue, who run a school for boys within the castle till 1853. Then the Castle was sold in 1860. The family Pestalozzi-Scotchburn sold it to the german physician Wilhelm Wedekind, whose children became famous artists, Erika Wedekind, an opera singer, and Frank Wedekind, a writer. In 1893 Augustus Edward Jessup, an American, whose wife Lady Mildred Marion Bowes Lyon was related to the British royal family, renovated the castle as a modern residence. In 1911 James W.Ellsworth, also an American, acquired it. In 1925 the Castle was inherited by his son Lincoln Ellsworth, a polar explorer. [1] Himmelsleiterli (literally means stairs to heaven) leads to the platform with the best view on the castle and surroundings.
In 1956 the City of Lenzburg and Canton Aargau bought the castle, established the Lenzburg Castle Foundation and opened it’s doors to the public.
My “armorial” map is expanding further.
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