Saxenstein Castle (Ruin) (Obersaxen)

The ruin of Saxenstein Castle is located in the municipality of Obersaxen in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The ruin of the former Saxenstein Castle lies west of the hamlet of Axastein, in the far west of the municipality of Obersaxen, on a small hill, separated from the slope by a wide ditch.

In Obersaxen, German-speaking settlers advanced into a Rhaeto-Romanic area where castles presumably already stood. Since the name of a knightly family does not appear on any of the four castles, it can be assumed that the castle name was simply formed with the name of the settler to whose territory the decaying castle belonged.

The tautological word formation Saxenstein can best be explained in connection with the family name "Sax" and therefore means stone, or castle of the Sax.

A massive square tower with a footprint of 9 by 8 meters has been preserved. The wall thickness of the layered masonry with strong bosses and precise edge striking varies between 1.6 and 2.4 meters. Three storeys are verifiable. On the second storey on the northern valley side was the high entrance with a round-arched door. At the western break-off point, the reveal of a window can be seen on the second storey, and an indeterminate opening on the third storey. At the foot of the hill, remains of a curtain wall have been preserved.

Written records about Saxenstein only exist from the 15th century. According to its construction, the building dates from the early 13th century. Saxenstein was probably the seat of a ministerialis of the Barons of Rhäzüns. In 1468, the "hoff Saxenstein" is mentioned in the regulation of the inheritance. On July 11, 1470, the castle is also mentioned: "Item aber ein gaden stetly by der Burg Saxenstein genannt." A stream is also mentioned, "der da gat schwüschend (= between) vnd des gaden stetly morgenthalb (= eastwards)."

When the castle was abandoned is not clear. It was probably similar to the other castles in Obersaxen: when the Walser settlers there received low jurisdiction, the presence of Rhäzüns ministeriales was no longer necessary, and the castles were abandoned.