Maggenberg Castle (Ruin) (Tafers)

From the founding of Fribourg in 1157, the Maggenberg family was among the most important. Ulrich, mentioned from 1150 to 1180, was probably the father of Conon and Conrad, very influential figures in Fribourg at the end of the 12th century. The origin of this family is unclear; their original name Montmacon was Germanized to Maggenberg in the 13th century.

Maggenberg was an important lordship, extending from the right bank of the Gottéron from Tavel to Fribourg. Over the centuries, it was divided into Chli-Maggenberg, Ober-Maggenberg, Maggenbergholz, Maggenbergzelg, Nieder-Maggenberg.

The first castle, built around 1150, was probably located in the Maggenbergholz forest in Tavel, where a feudal mound can still be seen. This castle was probably destroyed at the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century during one of the numerous wars that Fribourg had to support either against Bern or against Savoy. At the end of the 13th century, Ulrich II von Maggenberg had a second castle built, choosing a different location, Ober-Maggenberg in the territory of Alterswil. Of this castle, only the ruins of the watchtower remain today.

Around 1334, the decline of the Maggenberg family began, gradually fragmenting and selling off their various possessions. The second castle did not long withstand the decline and, after belonging to various individuals, it was destroyed in 1448.

Klein-Maggenberg passed to the Velga, who sold it in 1484 to Ulmann Tochtermann, known as Berwerscher (+1485). His uncle, Ulmann Techtermann (+1552), bailiff of Schwarzenburg (1510-15), then of Murten (1515-20), acted as an intermediary between Zurich and the Catholic cantons in 1531. The daughter of the latter, Barbe Techtermann, born around 1520, married three times, first Nicolas Wehrly (+ 1549) then Nicolas von Praroman, and finally Jean von Lanthen-Heid.

Thus, it was probably through Barbe Techtermann that Maggenberg passed to the Wehrly then to Diesbach. Barbe's daughter, Marguerite Wehrly (+ 1582), married Georges von Diesbach (1535-1582) in 1557, to whom she bore Georges.