Wülflingen Castle (Winterthur)

Wülflingen Castle is a castle in the city of Winterthur in the canton of Zurich. It is located on the eastern edge of the now incorporated village of Wülflingen. The castle was built in 1644 by Hans Hartmann Escher vom Luchs. He was the owner of the Wülflingen-Buch lordship and had lived in Alt-Wülflingen Castle since 1634. In 1655, he moved into the new Wülflingen Castle. In 1677, Hartmann Escher's daughter Margareta von Meiss (1636–1678) sold the inn, the butcher shop, and the brickworks to the brickmaker Heinrich Ringger from Hauptwil.

After the death of their mother in 1682, the siblings divided the inheritance, and Hans Hartmann Meiss became the sole owner of the Wülflingen-Buch lordship. From 1711 to 1717, he served as bailiff on the Kyburg. In 1730, the northern annex was built. In 1734, Brigadier Salomon Hirzel, Hartmann Meiss's son-in-law, took over the castle and the lordship by buying out the other heirs.

After the death of their father in 1755, the three sons inherited the Wülflingen lordship. After disputes, the middle son, Colonel Salomon Hirzel (1719–1791), took over the lordship and paid off his brothers. In 1767, Hirzel sold the castle, including the orchard and brickworks, to Mayor Johannes Sulzer. In the same year, the castle was renovated. In 1796, the mayor's granddaughter, Anna-Maria Sulzer, inherited the castle estate. In 1832, David Sulzer was first listed in the business directory as operating a wine tavern in the castle. In 1846, Heinrich Müller (1510–1878) became the owner of the castle. He was married to Helene Sulzer (1808–1876), the daughter of David and Anna-Maria Sulzer. In 1880, David-Friedrich Müller-Bodmer inherited the castle and ran a restaurant.

In 1906, the Zurich company A. Klingler-Huber acquired the castle and outbuildings for speculative purposes; the sale of parts of the interior was planned. In the same year, the committee for the preservation of the castle was founded. The "Wülflingen Castle Cooperative" bought the castle for a price of Fr. 85,000 together with the Gottfried Keller Foundation, which contributed Fr. 35,000. The furnishings of the court room, the lord's room, and the upper guest room are still owned by the foundation.

In 1907–08, the court room, the lord's room, and the halls were renovated. In 1910, the city of Winterthur acquired the surrounding land to protect it from impending development. The cooperative transferred Wülflingen Castle to the city of Winterthur in 1911 and dissolved. The Gottfried Keller Foundation remained a co-owner. In 1948, the paintings in the court room were restored. In 1957, the castle was renovated again and the paintings in the court room were restored. Hospitality and agriculture were separated.

By resolution of the Cantonal Council of Zurich on September 30, 1980, Wülflingen Castle, with its washhouse and barns, was included in the list of art and cultural-historical protected objects of supra-municipal importance for the city of Winterthur. In 2001 and 2002, the facades and roof were renovated. The last renovation took place in 2007/2008 and cost 8 million Swiss francs. Today, the castle is an upscale restaurant.