Author: Maarten Koning

Laupen and its (Swiss) History

Switzerland has a fascinating and carefully cultivated history. Almost every trip leads to one or more interesting cultural and historical encounters.

Small towns or villages often have a great past, be it a centuries-old sovereign republic, the smallest episcopal or abbey town or an important but small medieval fortress city.

The town of Laupen (canton of Bern) is a miniature version of Switzerland’s history. The Romans already used the road near Laupen to cross the Saane and Sense rivers. It was an essential connecting road between the important Roman town of Aventicum (today’s Avenches) and the ancient Celtic settlement on the Enge peninsula (Engehalbinsel) near Bern.

After the Romans’ departure (early 5th century), Alemanni and Romanised Celts (Gallo-Romans) inhabited the area. After the Merovingians and the Carolingian Empire, the Burgundians ruled the region from 888 to 1032. The Burgundian king Rudolf II (880-937) built the first fortress on the hill because of its strategic location on the road and along the rivers. This fortress developed into a castle in the 12th century.

The Burgundians were followed by a period of successive rulers. King Rudolf I of Habsburg (1218-1291) granted the settlement at the foot of the castle city rights and the status of a free city (Reichsunmittelbarkeit) in 1275.

Although its population in this century was small (250), the strategic importance and prestige were all the greater. Laupen had the same status as nearby, much larger Bern, Solothurn, Basel, Freiburg or Murten.

Johann Ludwig Nöthiger (1719-1782), castle and city of Laupen, 1744. Collection: Zentralbibliothek Zurich

Local and European rulers were interested in acquiring the town, and the castle often changed hands (the dukes of Zähringen and the Habsburgs, the counts of Kyburg and Savoy, the lords of Grandson and Thurn were owners for short or long periods).

But in 1324, Bern bought the seigniory of Laupen and the castle. Other rulers were less enthusiastic, and a broad alliance (Freiburg, Habsburg, Kyburg, the bishoprics of Basel, Lausanne and Sitten) declared war on Bern in 1339.

However, Bern was supported by Solothurn and the Orte (cantons) of central Switzerland (Innerschweiz) and won the Laupenkrieg (War of Laupen) led by Rudolf von Erlach (1299-1360).

Bern, monument of Rudolf von Erlach (1299-1360)

The castle and the city continued to expand over the following centuries. The castle became the bailiff’s residence, with a knights’ hall and other features of a contemporary residence.

The city had three towers, city walls, squares and city palaces. The medieval city centre remains largely intact, and several buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries still exist.

However, the city’s economic and strategic importance declined with the construction of the new wooden bridges at Gümmenen and Neuenegg in the 15th century.

The rivers also regularly flooded the city and the region. Many inhabitants emigrated. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the town begin to flourish again. The castle museum (Schlossmuseum) shows this history.

(Source and further information: Gemeinde Laupen)

Impressions of Laupen

   

View from the castle

Lake Schiffenen, its Nature, Castles, Magdalene Einsiedelei and History

Lake Schiffenen (Lac de Schiffenen in French, Schiffenensee in German) is a reservoir near the city of Fribourg/Freiburg. It is located in the Sarine Valley (Vallée de la Sarine), named after the river Sarine (Saane in German).

Kleinbösingen, St. Jakobskirche and ancient Roman columns

The dam near the villages of Kleinbösingen and Gurmels was completed in 1963, after which the valley filled up, marking another era for residents.

The Sarine flows further after the dam to the Aare at Oltigen (canton of Bern). On the other side of the lake, the famous Viaduc bridge (1862), near the city of Fribourg/Freiburg, marks the other end of the lake.

The dam

Its length is about 13 kilometres, and its maximum width is less than 500 metres. However, it is much narrower in most places, making the lake look like a fjord.

Several other villages are on the lake’s banks, including Barberêche, Düdingen, Granges-Paccot, and La Sonnaz. All have their charms. La Sonnaz is home to the rowing club Société d’Aviron Fribourg. Barberêche is the namesake of the largest of the three castles on the lake’s cliffs. Before the lake was created, these castles were on the edge of the valley. The other two castles are Grand-Vivy and Petit-Vivy.

This region also had a culture of bathhouses and spas as early as the 15th century. The village of Bad Bonn was famous for its mineral springs and bathhouse. Unfortunately for the village, it was located in the valley, and 1963 marked the end of a centuries-long culture. However, a new complex of the same name was built on the shores of the lake.

The Magdalene Einsiedelei in Räsch, near Düdingen, was a place of (religious) contemplation and hermits for centuries. The Einsiedelei (a hermitage) consists of a chapel and (living) spaces in rocks.

It has been known since the 15th century and was consecrated on 8 July 1691 by Bishop Pierre de Montenach (1633-1707) in honour of St Mary Magdalene.

The complex consists of various rooms for living and praying with a total length of 120 metres. The sandstone floor bears witness to fossilised sand dunes that testify to the presence of a sea around 20 million years ago (see also the Glacier Garden in Lucerne).

The Hermits are long gone, but the place and its interesting geological history, including fossils, is open to the public.

The Magdalena Einsiedelei

 

Viaduc de Grandfey (1862)

 

The castle and village of Barberêche

Nature

Swiss Mill Day on 11 May 2024 in Flüh

The Swiss Association of Friends of the Mills (Die Vereinigung Schweizer Mühlenfreunde) annually organises the national Mill Day on the Saturday after Ascension Day.

During this national event, historic mills in all parts of the country open their doors, including the Flühmühle in Hofstetten-Flüh (canton of Solothurn), from 11:00 a.m.

At 13:00 and 15:00, two short presentations (in German) highlight the mill’s cultural-historical context, architecture, and function.

After 11:00 a.m., visitors can view the mill and its partially preserved grinding plant, as well as historical pictures and artefacts.  

At the same time, the mill invites you to linger on the mill square (in the Stube in case of rain). Coffee, tea, cold drinks and sweet and savoury delicacies will be available from 11.00 a.m.

The day will end at 16:00 with a solo performance by Christine Lauterburg. Christine has reinterpreted yodelling and made it accessible to a broader audience. Her music combines folk, pop, chanson, and world music elements.

The number of seats for the concert is limited, and registration is mandatory: [email protected]

Collection for the concert: indicative amount CHF 20.-

Programme and travel details: www.fluehmuehle.ch