Auenstein Castle

Auenstein Castle is a castle in the municipality of Auenstein in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It was created by converting a medieval castle.

The castle was probably built in the 13th century on behalf of the Lords of Gowenstein and was first mentioned in a document in 1307 as property of the Lords of Rinach. During battles between the Habsburgs and the Confederates in 1389, the Bernese stormed the castle and burned it down. The complex was not rebuilt and remained a ruin until modern times.

Since the dominion over the village of Auenstein was also associated with the ruin, the uninhabitable building changed owners several times. Albrecht von Rinach sold the ruin in 1465 to Heinrich Hasfurter from Lucerne. In 1487, the ruin came into the possession of Hans Rudolf von Luternau, who, however, sold it on just four years later to the von Mülinen family from Brugg, who already owned the nearby Kasteln Castle. General Johann Ludwig von Erlach bought the ruin in 1648, which was sold by his descendants to the city of Bern in 1732.

In 1803, the complex came into the possession of the newly founded Canton of Aargau, which then sold it to private individuals. In 1858, the ruin was made habitable again and converted into a castle by adding additional floors with living quarters and a kitchen on top of the old foundation walls; an extension was added in 1928. The castle is still privately owned today.