Freuler Palace (Näfels)

Construction of the Freuler Palace began around 1642, with the roof completed in 1645 and the interior finished by 1647. Its builder was Kaspar Freuler, a lieutenant in the service of the French king and later a colonel in the Swiss Guard, who was knighted by Louis XIII in 1637. During his frequent absences, his second wife, Anna Reding von Biberegg, supervised the construction. Freuler died in 1651 from an injury. The palace remained in family ownership until 1837, before the municipality of Näfels acquired it in 1840 and used it as a school, poorhouse, and orphanage. In 1937, a Glarus foundation bought the building, restored it, and opened the Glarus Cantonal Museum there in 1946. Further restorations took place from 1983, during which the facade and interiors were returned to their original condition.

Today, the Freuler Palace houses the Glarus Cantonal Museum. The building is well-preserved and accessible; its interiors, including the ballroom with its coffered ceiling and the house chapel, are preserved.