Auenstein Castle

A 13th century castle built by the Lords of Gowenstein, it was first mentioned in documents in 1307 (the year of Wilhelm Tel) as the property of the Lords of Rinach. The castle was burned down by the Bernese in battles between the Habsburgs and the Confederates in 1389. The castle has since not been rebuilt and so remained a ruin until modern times. The uninhabitable building changed hands several times. Albrecht von Rinach sold the ruins in 1465 to Heinrich Hasfurter from Lucerne. In 1487, the ruin became the property of Hans Rudolf von Luternau, who, however, resold it just four years later to the von Mülinen family from Brugg, the owners of the nearby Kasteln Castle. General Johann Ludwig von Erlach bought the ruin in 1648, and in 1732 his descendants sold it to the city of Bern. In 1803, the Canton of Aargau came into possession of the castle and subsequently sold it to private individuals. In 1858, the ruins were made habitable again. The castle is still privately owned today. History/Text Source: - Castle Map of Switzerland - East, Federal Office of Topography Swisstopo, Wabern, 2007. - Swiss Castle Guide, Thomas Bitterli, Fridrich Reinhard Verlag, Basel/Berlin, 1995.