Herdern Castle

The landmark of Herdern is undoubtedly the castle tower from the 12th century. In the years 1286 and 1311, Jakob der Bettler (Jakob the Beggar) was mentioned as the owner and remained in the possession of the Bettler family until 1403.

Through several sales and inheritances, the castle finally came into the possession of the Breitenlandenberg family in 1580, who gave it the name Barbenstein. Under Ulrich von Breitenlandenberg, the castle was built to its current floor plan between 1601 and 1610.

After the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, the family became impoverished, which is why the Herdern dominion came into the possession of the Lucerne monastery of St. Urban. As the residence of the governor, it had to – expanded into a baroque castle – henceforth fulfill the monastic representational needs. At that time, the tower received its current octagonal shape with the onion dome.

In the 18th century, the castle hardly changed. After the dissolution of St. Urban Monastery, the Canton of Lucerne took over Herdern Castle including the lands. It finally sold the entire property to the gentlemen Burckhardt-Preiswerk from Basel, who successfully farmed as landed gentry between 1848 and 1860.

Until the purchase of the castle estate in 1895 by the association "Arbeitskolonie Herdern" (Herdern Work Colony), the owners changed several more times.

Source text: www.schlossherdern.ch