Hindelbank Castle

Hindelbank Castle is a castle in the municipality of Hindelbank of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[1] It was sold to the canton in 1866 and later became a workhouse and a prison. Currently, it is the administration building of the only women's prison in Switzerland.

Hindelbank Castle
Native name
German: Schloss Hindelbank
Hindelbank Castle exterior
TypeCastle
LocationHindelbank, Bern, Switzerland
Coordinates47°02′00″N 7°32′28″E
Built1721-25
ArchitectJoseph Abeille
OwnerCanton of Bern
Reference no.942
Location of Hindelbank Castle in Switzerland

History

Hindelbank Castle was built in 1720-25 for Schultheiss Hieronymus von Erlach by Daniel Stürler (1674-1746) based on plans from the French architect Joseph Abeille. The floor plan was based on Thunstetten Castle which Abeille had designed for von Erlach in 1711. The castle remained in the Erlach family until 1866 when Robert von Erlach sold the castle to the Canton of Bern and the surrounding land to a private buyer.[2] Under the canton's ownership, the castle became a workhouse for poor women, until 1896 when it became a women's reformatory. It was extensively renovated in 1962-66 and again in 1996. After the first renovation it became the administrative center for Switzerland's only women's prison, a role that it still fulfills today.[3][4]

Design and layout

The imposing castle was built with a north facing cour d'honneur or three-sided courtyard with a two story corps de logis topped with a steep hipped roof. The façade of the central building features two rows of seven symmetrical windows and doors.

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See also
  • List of castles in Switzerland

References
  1. "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  2. Hindelbank in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  3. Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK (in German) accessed 29 March 2016
  4. Swiss Castles.ch - Hindelbank Castle (in French) accessed 29 March 2016
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