Habstetten Castle (Bolligen)

The village of Habstetten was originally owned by the nobles of Thorberg. In 1345, Knight Berchtold of Thorberg sold the village and part of the Grauholz forest to Bern. Later, in 1376, Ulrich von Buch and Cuno von Holz each acquired half of the village. Estates in Habstetten also belonged to Peter von Gysenstein before 1325. A smaller predecessor building at this site is evidenced by the year 1638 on a door jamb in a nearby woodshed. The “Hubel” estate was owned by Gabriel Gross, later Bernese city clerk, from 1670. After his death in 1693, it passed to his eldest son, also named Gabriel Gross. In 1732, the physician Johann David Wilhelmi exchanged the Hubel estate with Gabriel Gross. It subsequently passed through his daughter Johanna Katharina to various owners, including Samuel Anton Wilhelmi and Captain Carl Ryhiner, who became bailiff in Morges in 1786. Ryhiner had his Habstetten country seat depicted on a tiled stove. After his death in 1798, his widow sold the manor house to Susanna Elisabeth Hartmann, who had it rebuilt. After her death in 1816, the estate passed to her daughter Maria Elisabeth and later to her siblings Sigmund Emanuel Hartmann and Juliana Bucher. In 1834, Salomon Ludwig Jakob von Wattenwyl acquired the estate, had a peristyle added, and later ceded it to his mother. After her death, it reverted to him and was eventually passed on by his heirs. In 1922, Gerhard von Wattenwyl's widow gifted the country estate to her four children. Anna Maria Laura von Wattenwyl, one of the daughters, became the sole owner in 1940. After her death in 1964, the estate passed to her sons and daughter. In a division of inheritance in 1916, Johann Konrad Henry von Mandach became the sole owner. Since his death, the Hubel estate has belonged to his widow and their five daughters.

Habstetten Castle is currently used as private property and is therefore not accessible to the public.