Waldegg Castle
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Waldegg Castle, or Schloss Waldegg, is a
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
near
Solothurn Solothurn ( ; ; ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. The town is ...
, in the
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus of the
Canton of Solothurn The canton of Solothurn or canton of Soleure (; ; ; ) is a Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn. History The village of ''Salodurum'' was founded in the time of t ...
in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.


History

The
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
castle was built between 1682 and 1686 as a summer house for the Schultheiss Johann Viktor P. Joseph von Besenval (1638–1713) and his wife Maria Margaritha, née von Sury (1649–1713). Over time, the Waldegg Castle, together with the
Palais Besenval The Palais Besenval is a baroque palace at Kronengasse 1 in the Swiss city of Solothurn. History The palace is named after the brothers Johann Viktor II. Besenval (1671–1736) and Peter Joseph Besenval (1675–1736), on whose behalf the build ...
, developed into one of the main residences of the family von Besenval.


House of Besenval: The rise of a family

The family Besenval was originally from
Torgnon Torgnon (; Valdôtain: ; Issime ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists ...
in the
Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...
. They had risen socially in the service of King
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
and had received a title of
baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
''(Reichsfreiherren)'' of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
from Emperor Leopold I in 1695. Furthermore, already in February 1655, Martin von Besenval (1600–1660), Johann Viktor P. Joseph's father, was ennobled by King
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
and raised to the
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in 1658 in gratitude for his merit for the French crown. And on 11 August 1726, King
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
erected the von Besenval's possession of Brunstatt in the
Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
into a French
baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
y. The climax of the family's ennoblement was the elevation of Martin Louis de Besenval (1780–1853) to the rank of a comte by King
Charles X Charles X may refer to: * Charles X of France (1757–1836) * Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden * Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title See also * * King Charle ...
on 18 March 1830. The
letters of nobility The patent of nobility, also letters of nobility (always ), or diploma of nobility documented the legal act of ennoblement (granting rights of a nobleman to a "new man" and his family). The ennoblement was an event of ultimate importance in a feuda ...
also applied to the descendants. Some members of the family also adopted the French spelling of the family name, ''de Besenval.''Andreas Fankhauser: ''Besenval von Brunstatt,'' Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS), Version vom 23.06.2004, online, 2024Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 44Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 49Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, pp. 102–103Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 187 However, the Besenvals' loyalty to the French crown was also financially rewarded. The quote from the French ambassador in Solothurn from 1709 is legendary: The French money was a welcome financial boost for the construction of the Waldegg Castle. The Besenvals became rich through the salt trade and the
mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...
business with France. A mechanism that was common among mercenary patricians soon set in: Because the Besenvals had influence in their own town, they became important for foreign powers – and because they were valued abroad, their power in turn grew in their own town.


Johann Viktor von Besenval

Johann Viktor P. Joseph's son Johann Viktor, Baron von Besenval von Brunstatt, was a diplomat and colonel in the regiment of the Swiss Guards of France. After he inherited the Waldegg Castle in 1713, he had it renovated. Furthermore, he added a theater, commissioned in 1722 and completed in 1736, and a chapel, the ''Chapel of Saint Michael,'' commissioned in 1729 and decorated in the current French style, to the castle. He brought numerous works of art back with him from France.Christian Renfer / Eduard Widmer: ''Schlösser und Landsitze der Schweiz,'' Ex Libris Verlag AG, Zürich, 1985, pp. 156–157Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, pp. 104–105


Palais Besenval

Johann Viktor von Besenval and his brother Peter Joseph (1675–1736) commissioned the construction of the
Palais Besenval The Palais Besenval is a baroque palace at Kronengasse 1 in the Swiss city of Solothurn. History The palace is named after the brothers Johann Viktor II. Besenval (1671–1736) and Peter Joseph Besenval (1675–1736), on whose behalf the build ...
in Solothurn in 1703.Stefan Blank: ''«Der allhiesigen Statt eine Zierd» – Zur Geschichte und Bedeutung des Palais Besenval in Solothurn.'' In: Andrea Nold (editor): ''Archäologische Ausgrabungen im Garten des Palais Besenval in Solothurn: Ein Quartier an der Aare vom Mittelalter bis in die Neuzeit.'' Solothurn: Amt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, 2009, p.81–91.
online


A wedding with royal congratulations

On 18 September 1716, Johann Viktor married Katarzyna Bielińska (1684–1761), daughter of Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński, a Polish noble, politician and diplomat. She was also the sister of Maria Magdalena Bielińska, div. Gräfin von
Dönhoff The House of Dönhoff (Polish: Denhoff, sometimes also Doenhoff) was an old and influential German noble family, which later also became part of the Polish nobility. History It was first mentioned in 1282, in the County of Mark in Westphalia. ...
, who was the ''Maîtresse-en-titre'' of King
Augustus II the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...
. A marriage warmly welcomed by Philippe II de Bourbon, Duc d'Orléans, who was '' Régent de France'' between 1715 and 1723, since Johann Viktor was the French ambassador to Poland at that time.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Marriage de Jean Victor de Besenval et Katarzyna Bielińska et informations sur Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński, Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 98''Genealogisch-historische Nachrichten von den allerneusten Begebenheiten, welche sich an den europäischen Höfen zutragen,'' Bogislaus Ernestus, Graf von Dönhoff. Der 97. Theil, des Verlegers Johann Samuel Heinsius, Leipzig, 1746
S. 796 (Ergänzungen)


Death in Paris and a funerary monument by Jacques Caffieri

Johann Viktor von Besenval died on 11 March 1736 in his ''
hôtel particulier () is the French term for a grand urban mansion, comparable to a Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse. Whereas an ordinary (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...
'' on the Rue de Varenne in Paris. His funeral took place in the church of Saint-Sulpice, where his grave was also located. His funerary monument in the church showed a bust relief of him made by
Jacques Caffieri Jacques Caffieri (25 August 1678, Paris – 25 November 1755, Paris) was a French sculptor, working for the most part in bronze. Life Jacques Caffiéri was the fifth son of Philippe Caffieri (1634-1716), the founder of this family of artists. ...
in 1737. In the course of the French Revolution, the funerary monument of Johann Viktor, as well as those of other representatives of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
, were destroyed. However, an engraving of the funerary monument survives in the
Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
in Amsterdam.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, pp. 109–110


Peter Viktor von Besenval and his heirs

Johann Viktor's son Peter Viktor, Baron von Besenval von Brunstatt, a Swiss military officer in French service, was born at the Waldegg Castle in 1721. When his father died in 1736, he inherited the Waldegg Castle. However, he lived most of his life in France, where he was known as ''Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt,'' and where, in 1767, he bought the ''Hôtel Chanac de Pompaodur'' and made it his residence in Paris. Today the ''
hôtel particulier () is the French term for a grand urban mansion, comparable to a Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse. Whereas an ordinary (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...
'' is known as
Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...
. It has housed the
Embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...
of the
Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...
and the residence of the Swiss ambassador to France since 1938.Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 11 Peter Viktor rarely stayed in Switzerland anymore. The center of his life was in Paris. Due to his absence, he left the use of the Waldegg Castle to his cousin Johann Viktor Peter Joseph von Besenval (1742–1786) and his wife Maria Anna Margrit, née von Roll (1741–1814). Although he wasn't often in Switzerland, Peter Viktor did add an
orangery An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...
, a so-called ''Pomeranzen-Hause,'' to the castle in 1780.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 144


The French Revolution: The beginning of the end of an era

The French Revolution of 1789 was disastrous to the family's influence, business interests and wealth. Although all the family members survived the terror of the French Revolution, their close ties to the French royal family and other high-ranking members of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
made life more and more difficult for them in France. Peter Viktor von Besenval, who was part of the highest circle of power in France, saw the dark clouds looming over the Ancien Régime in the course of 1789. After the
Storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...
on 14 July 1789, he wanted to escape to Switzerland, to his country estate, the Waldegg Castle, but he was no longer able to do so. On 26 July 1789, he was recognised while fleeing revolutionary troops in Villegruis. He was immediately arrested and sent to prison. In October 1789 he was charged with the crime of
lèse-nation Lèse-nation, also lèze-nation, was a crime defined in France in connection with the French Revolution. It means an offence or defamation against the dignity of the nation. Both, the name as well as the corresponding law regarding the crime of lè ...
. The baron was never to see the Waldegg Castle again. Only with good luck and good friends did he survive the terror of the revolution. He was acquitted on 1 March 1790. Peter Viktor von Besenval died on 2 June 1791 at his residence in Paris, the
Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...
.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 150


Death in Paris without a legitimate heir

After the death of Peter Viktor von Besenval in 1791, who was in fact not childless but had no legitimate heir, the Waldegg Castle, which was a '' Fidéicommis'' and could therefore only be passed on in the immediate family, went to the firstborn son of his cousin Johann Viktor Peter Joseph, the minor Ours Joseph Augustin von Besenval (1777–1831).Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 152 It would later fall to Ours Joseph Augustin von Besenval to handle the increasingly precarious financial circumstances of the family von Besenval after the French Revolution, which led to the loss of their once considerable French income. Years later, on 18 October 1830, the precarious financial situation led to Ours Joseph von Besenval marrying his only daughter and universal heir Marie Louise Emélie (1804–1838) to her first cousin Amédée de Besenval (1809–1899). Amédée was the eldest son of Ours Joseph von Besenval's brother Martin Louis de Besenval, first Comte de Besenval (1780–1853), and Anne Caroline, née von Roll (1786–1829).Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 186 In order to avoid dispersal of the family heritage, marriages between cousins often occurred within the family von Besenval, but these led to a weakening of the line of descent due to excessive consanguinity. The result was increasing signs of degeneration.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 199


The biological child and heir of the Hôtel de Besenval

Peter Viktor von Besenval's only child was his biological son Joseph-Alexandre Pierre, Vicomte de Ségur. After the death of his father in 1791, he inherited the bare ownership of the
Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...
in Paris.Gouverneur Morris: ''Journal de Gouverneur Morris,'' par E. Pariset, traduit de l'anglais, Plon-Nourrit et Cie., Imprimeurs-Éditeurs, 8, rue, Garancière, Paris, 1901, p. 8Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 17Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 148


The sale of the baron's furniture to the Swiss Confederation

On 19 May 1938, the
Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...
purchased the
Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...
in Paris as the country's new legation building. In the same year, the Swiss Government bought from the patrician family von Sury, the then owners of the Waldegg Castle, a sofa and six chairs, covered in beige fabric and embroidered with scenes from the fables of
Jean de La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, ; ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French Fable, fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''La Fontaine's Fables, Fables'', which provided a model for subs ...
, except for the sofa, which is covered with a pattern of flowers and birds. According to oral tradition, the sofa and the six chairs once belonged to Peter Viktor von Besenval and were part of the furnishings of the Hôtel de Besenval. It is said that the baron sent these pieces of furniture, along with other pieces of furniture and works of art, to Switzerland shortly before the French Revolution. In a photo from the 1920s, the sofa and the six chairs are placed in the ''Salon de Besenval'' at the Waldegg Castle. Today the furniture ensemble is on display at the Hôtel de Besenval in the ''Salon de la tapisserie.''Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 21 Visites privées
''Les réceptions de l'ambassadeur – l'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris''
Stéphane Bern (* 1963) et son équipe à l’Hôtel de Besenval (documentaire télévisé), 2016
Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 18 The entire furnishings that remained at the Hôtel de Besenval after the baron's death in 1791 were auctioned in Paris on 10 August 1795. Therefore only the pieces that the baron had sent to Switzerland, to the Waldegg Castle, before the French Revolution, or pieces that he left to his family in Solothurn in his will, such as family portraits, remained in the family's possession. However, these were only a few pieces, mostly with a family connection. His son Joseph-Alexandre Pierre, Vicomte de Ségur, also kept some pieces of furniture in memory of his father, as well as his father's portrait, painted by
Henri-Pierre Danloux Henri-Pierre Danloux (24 February 1753 – 3 January 1809) was a French painter and draftsman. He was born in Paris. After the early death of his parents, Danloux was brought up by his architect uncle, Guillaume-Elie Lefoullon. First Danloux was ...
in 1791.A. J. Paillet (commissaire-priseur): ''Catalogue de tableaux précieux, dessins, gouaches et miniatures, etc. (de M. de Besenval),'' de l'imprimerie du Journal de Paris, rue J. J. Rousseau, n° 14. Vente aux enchères, avec un total de 222 lots, rue de l'Université, n° 905, entre la rue de Beaune & celle des St.-Pères, Paris, le 23 Thermidor, an 3e (10 août 1795)Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 151


The Federal Council's plans for the field fortifications at the Waldegg Castle

In the 1850s, the
Swiss Federal Council The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand co ...
, especially Federal Councillor
Ulrich Ochsenbein Johann Ulrich Ochsenbein colloquially Ulrich Ochsenbein (24 November 1811 – 3 November 1890) was a Swiss jurist, military officer, politician who most notably served on the Federal Council (Switzerland) from 1848 to 1854. He previously also serv ...
, was seriously concerned about the defense capability of the Solothurn region, because the city set about demolishing its old 18th-century fortifications. This prompted Ulrich Ochsenbein to reprimand the city authorities, which, however, did not impress them at all. The demolition of the old fortifications continued.Dorfzeitung Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus: ''Der Plan vom Befestigungswerk Waldegg,'' Artikel basierend auf Recherchen von André Schluchter, Ausgabe 01/2024, pp. 4–5 This in turn prompted Federal Councillor Ulrich Ochsenbein, after consulting General
Guillaume Henri Dufour Guillaume Henri Dufour (; 15 September 178714 July 1875) was a Swiss military officer, structural engineer and topographer. He served under Napoleon I and held the Swiss office of General four times in his career, firstly in 1847 when he led t ...
, to demand the restoration of the old fortifications or to build new field fortifications, including in the area of the Waldegg Castle. Accordingly, the corresponding plans were drawn up on behalf of the Federal Council.


The abandoned Waldegg Castle

Regarding the Waldegg Castle, the castle was no longer inhabited at this time. The last main owner of the estate of the family von Besenval, Amédée, Comte de Besenval (1809–1899), tried desperately to get rid of it. On 27 July 1854, Amédée de Besenval tried unsuccessfully to sell the Waldegg Castle Estate at auction. He even considered renting it out and turning it into a manufacturing facility.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 196


The plans for the field fortifications disappeared into the archives

If the fortification plans from the 1850s had been realised, the castle would not have been demolished. But an entrenchment was planned in the ''
cour d'honneur A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...
'' on the south side of the castle and firearms openings in the barn in the rear courtyard. In addition, the castle and its park would have been largely walled in. Furthermore, the baroque
parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, plats, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the ...
would have been replaced by a
glacis A glacis (, ) in military engineering is an artificial slope as part of a medieval castle or in early modern fortresses. They may be constructed of earth as a temporary structure or of stone in more permanent structure. More generally, a glaci ...
and platforms for snipers would have been placed in the galleries. These already well-developed plans were only not implemented because the threat from the
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
ns had disappeared after the settlement of the
Neuchâtel Crisis The Neuchâtel Crisis or Neuchâtel Affair of 1856–1857 was a diplomatic crisis between Prussia and Switzerland regarding the rights of the King of Prussia to the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. Background Upon the death of Marie de Nemours, Prin ...
in 1857. Furthermore, there was no longer any threat until the start of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in 1914.


The Besenval era is coming to an end: Josef von Sury von Bussy

Finally, a solution for the future of the Waldegg Castle was found within the family. Josef von Sury von Bussy (1817–1887), who had been married to Charlotte de Besenval (1826–1885) since 26 June 1848, bought the Waldegg Castle, including the furniture and the paintings, on 6 February 1865 from the last members of the family von Besenval who were entitled to inherit the assets of the former '' Fidéicommis de Waldegg,'' which existed from 1684 to 1811. On the one hand, this was Amédée, Comte de Besenval (1809–1899), the brother-in-law of Josef von Sury von Bussy. He was the main heir to the Waldegg Castle Estate. On the other hand, these were Amédée de Besenval's two daughters Marie Joséphine (1833–1869) and Marie Laurette (1837–1912), who had inherited their shares from their late mother Marie Louise Emélie de Besenval, née von Besenval (1804-1838). Marie Louise Emélie de Besenval, née von Besenval, was a first cousin of her husband Amédée, Comte de Besenval. With Amédée Victor Louis, Comte de Besenval (1862–1927), who lived in Naples, the main line of the family died out in 1927. Amédée Victor Louis' father Victor (1819–?) and his uncle Jules (1820–1894) were both in military service in Naples for the then ruling dynasty, the
House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descends from the Capetian dynasty in legitimate male line through Phili ...
. Both served with the rank of
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. In 1840, they were joined by their brother Amédée (1809–1899). After the death of his wife Marie Louise Emélie (1804–1838), he also settled in Naples for some time with his two daughters.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 196Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 198Kanton Solothurn: ''Familienarchiv Besenval neu im Staatsarchiv Solothurn,'' Medienmitteilung der Staatskanzlei, 27. Oktober 2022Thomas Wallner: ''Josef von Sury von Bussy,'' Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS), Version vom 03.12.2013, online, 2024 The new owner of the Waldegg Castle had it renovated and added two apartments. Furthermore, he changed the
Baroque garden The Baroque garden was a style of garden based upon symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The style originated in the late-16th century in Italy, in the gardens of the Vatican and the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome and in the ...
into an
English landscape garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...
. However, the alterations to the garden were reversed during subsequent renovations in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The historic Baroque garden with its obelisks and figures was reconstructed.


The donation and purchase agreement with the Canton of Solothurn

From the early 20th century, the Waldegg Castle was no longer just a summer house, but was inhabited all year round. In 1963, the last private owners of the Waldegg Castle, the three children of Gaston von Sury von Bussy (1852–1931) and his wife Anne, née de Reinach Hirtzbach, Charles (1884–1973), Victor (1892–1978) and Marguerite (1883–1969) donated the Waldegg Castle to the Canton of Solothurn, also because there were no direct descendants left of the three siblings. Only Charles and his wife Gertrude, née Frölicher (1884–1968), had children, two sons. However, Jean (1920–1923) died at the age of three and his brother Gaston (1918–1948) died in an accident in the
Jungfrau massif The Jungfrau (, , , "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, ...
in 1948.


A modest financial compensation and a modest rent for the descendants of the family von Sury

The three siblings Charles, Victor and Marguerite von Sury received a modest financial compensation from the Canton of Solothurn of CHF 600,000 for the 200,000 square meter complex consisting of the Waldegg Castle and its
formal garden A formal garden is a garden with a clear structure, geometric shapes and in most cases a symmetrical layout. Its origin goes back to the gardens which are located in the desert areas of Western Asia and are protected by walls. The style of a form ...
and park, several outbuildings, two chapels, an
allée In landscaping, an avenue (from the French), alameda (from the Portuguese and Spanish), or allée (from the French), is a straight path or road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side, which is used, as its Latin source ' ...
, agricultural land and a farm. In addition, the descendants of the family von Sury continue to have the right to live in the apartment on the first floor of the east wing of the castle at a modest rent of CHF 1,000 per year (the rent was indexed to the level of 1963 and has since been adjusted according to inflation. The annual rent in 2022 was CHF 3,923). The prerequisite is that the tenants bear the family name von Sury. In the same year that the purchase and donation agreement came into force, in 1963, the castle estate was transferred to the ''Waldegg Castle Foundation.'' In 1975, the Waldegg Castle became the headquarters of the Center for Intercultural Dialogue, an organisation that fosters understanding between the different languages and cultures of Switzerland. In 1963, a comprehensive renovation programme was started that lasted over 20 years. The castle museum opened in 1991.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 197Christian Renfer / Eduard Widmer: ''Schlösser und Landsitze der Schweiz,'' Ex Libris Verlag AG, Zürich, 1985, p. 158Kanton Solothurn
''Schenkungs- und Kaufvertrag Domäne Schloss Waldegg''
19. April 1963
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
''Schloss Waldegg bei Solothurn''
Dokumentation, 31. Oktober 2023


Architecture: The castle and its surroundings

The Waldegg Castle was built in the local ''Türmlihaus'' style, meaning a house with many towers, compared to its size. The architectural influences of the French and Italian Baroque are clearly visible. In the first construction phase in the 17th century, the rectangular wing, the ''
corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal or main block, or central building of a mansion, country or manor house, castle, or palace. It contains the rooms of principal business, the state apartments and the ceremonial or formal ...
,'' designed by an unknown architect, was built with three tower-like pavilions facing the garden. Between the three towers there are two three-axis building parts with a crowning gable. From 1689, after Johann Viktor P. Joseph von Besenval (1638–1713) was appointed Schultheiss of the Republic of Solothurn in 1688, long, single-floor galleries were added on both sides of the ''corps de logis,'' at the ends of which are corner turrets, a kind of small pavilions. At the beginning of the 18th century, these single-floor galleries were heightened by one floor. These first floor galleries were formerly used as
loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
s. Niches in the galleries house allegorical statues which were carved in 1683 by Johann Peter Frölicher (1662–1723). These statues originally adorned as free-standing figures the roof
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...
of the two once single-floor galleries. The coat of arms symbols of the family von Besenval can be seen in and around the castle. In the central axis of the ''corps de logis'' on the south façade, there is the coat of arms of the family von Besenval in stucco. And horseshoes, the symbols of the coat of arms of the Besenvals' Barony of Brunstatt, adorn the red and white shutters of the ''corps de logis.''Christian Renfer / Eduard Widmer: ''Schlösser und Landsitze der Schweiz,'' Ex Libris Verlag AG, Zürich, 1985, p. 154Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 71


Smaller than it actually seems: A ''façade castle''

The Waldegg Castle is also known as a ''façade castle'' or a ''coulisse castle'' because the two expanded wings of the building to the left and to the right of the ''
corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal or main block, or central building of a mansion, country or manor house, castle, or palace. It contains the rooms of principal business, the state apartments and the ceremonial or formal ...
'' only consist of galleries with
baluster A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
s, which serve as connecting corridors, leading to the corner turrets, the small pavilions. Originally these corner turrets had so-called imperial roofs (bulbous roofs, also called
onion dome An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate (drum) upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. They taper smoothly upwards to a point. It is a typical ...
s). Behind the galleries with their large windows with usually closed shutters, however, there are no parts of the building. Especially from a distance, these galleries make the castle appear much larger than it actually is. The façade clearly reflects the representative claim to power of its builder. All in all, the façade measures 78 meters. This makes it the longest baroque castle façade in Switzerland. In contrast, the ''corps de logis'' is only 13.5 meters deep.Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 14


Behind the façade

The windows of the galleries provide a clear view of the rear courtyard of the building, the north side, with the less glamorous courtyard façade, where the farm buildings are also located, as well as one of the two chapels. This chapel was dedicated to
Saint Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...
in honour of Katarzyna Bielińska (1684–1761), the Polish wife of Johann Viktor von Besenval.Christian Renfer / Eduard Widmer: ''Schlösser und Landsitze der Schweiz,'' Ex Libris Verlag AG, Zürich, 1985, p. 157


Grand hall and salons on the ground floor

The Grand hall, also called ''Salon de jardin,'' of the Waldegg Castle has ten allegorical paintings of the Arts and Sciences painted in 1734 by the Parisian painter Sébastien Le Clerc (1676–1764) and his workshop. In addition, there are paintings with landscape scenes and hunting still lifes painted in the
trompe-l'œil ; ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional surface. , which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving p ...
style. The ''Salon de jardin'' also served as the dining room from the 19th century. The eastern salon, the ''Salon de Besenval,'' has a
grisaille Grisaille ( or ; , from ''gris'' 'grey') means in general any European painting that is painted in grey. History Giotto used grisaille in the lower registers of his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua () and Robert Campin, Jan van Ey ...
style ceiling
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
. The fresco shows the various coats of arms of the different estates of the family von Besenval as well as a noble crown, which together form the coat of arms of the family von Besenval. The western salon, the ''Salon des Ambassadeurs,'' has a trompe-l'œil style ceiling fresco. The fresco from around 1690, attributed to the local painter Michael Vogelsang (circa 1663–1719) and his workshop, shows a wide sky with an ornate balustrade framing the sky.Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 17Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 21


''Bel étage''

The first floor, with a room height of almost four meters, is the main floor of the castle, the so-called ''
Bel étage (Italian for "noble floor" or "noble level", also sometimes referred to by the corresponding French term, ) is the architectural term for the principal floor of a ''palazzo''. This floor contains the main reception and bedrooms of the house. ...
.'' The two main rooms on the first floor, the master bedroom and the reception room, are located in the middle wing, the so-called ''
Avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( or , plural , , ), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than other parts of the building.Curl, James Stev ...
.'' Both rooms have ceiling paintings from around 1685. The ceiling painting in the master bedroom is dedicated to love. The central medallion shows
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
and Mercury.
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...
can be seen in the four corner medallions. The family von Sury later set up the billiard room here. The second room was the main reception room of the family von Besenval. This room shows the highest quality ceiling painting in the entire castle. It shows a
trompe-l'œil ; ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional surface. , which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving p ...
style dome architecture. In contrast to the other ceiling frescoes, which are painted using the lime casein technique, this ceiling fresco is the only one in the castle that is painted in oil. This reception room was originally decorated with leather wallpaper. The library of the family von Besenval was also on the first floor. In 1763, however, the library was converted into a salon. Today this room is called the ''Salon bleu.''Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, pp. 21–25Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 16


Two chapels

The Waldegg Castle has two Catholic chapels. The eastern turret houses the ''Castle chapel.'' It has a high-Baroque altar from 1720, a trompe-l'œil ceiling fresco and wall frescoes attributed to either Wolfgang Aeby (1638–1694) or Michael Vogelsang (around 1663–1719). Both artists were locals from the Solothurn region. The apostolic
nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
in 1686 and the bishop in 1690 gave the authorisation for the celebration of the
Holy Mass The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass "the same Christ ...
in the ''Castle chapel,'' which is dedicated to
Saint Maurice Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, Maurits, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptians, Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Roman Empire, Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favourite and most widely venerated saints of tha ...
.


Chapel of Saint Michael

The second chapel, the ''Chapel of Saint Michael,'' commissioned by Johann Viktor von Besenval in 1729 and completed in 1734, features reproduction paintings – made in Paris, including the large gilded frames –, showing
Saint Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...
by
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
and Saint Raphael by
Domenico Fetti Domenico Fetti (also spelled Feti) ( – 16 April 1623) was an Italian Baroque painter who was active mainly in Rome, Mantua and Venice. Biography Born in Rome to a little-known painter, Pietro Fetti, Domenico is said to have apprenticed ini ...
, the originals of which both hang in the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 104Jahrbuch für Solothurnische Geschichte: ''Wolfgang Aeby – Ein Solothurner Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts,'' von Max Banholzer, Band 75, 2002, p. 259 The completion of the ''Chapel of Saint Michael'' took forever. This is also because they were unlucky with the craftsmen. Johann Viktor von Besenval's brother, who supervised the construction work in his absence, reported to him:


Garden, park and allée

At around 1700, Johann Viktor P. Joseph von Besenval still carried out major transformations on the south side of the castle by replacing the panoramic platform of the
parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, plats, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the ...
with a staircase and a fountain. The south portal also dates from this period. He also planted the 600 meter long ''
allée In landscaping, an avenue (from the French), alameda (from the Portuguese and Spanish), or allée (from the French), is a straight path or road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side, which is used, as its Latin source ' ...
'' leading to the road to
Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
. The ''allée,'' partially lost over time, was reconstructed in 1988 with
Tilia platyphyllos ''Tilia platyphyllos'', the large-leaved lime or large-leaved linden, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Malvaceae (Tiliaceae). It is a deciduous tree, native plant, native to much of continental Europe as well as sou ...
trees. In 1705, Johann Viktor P. Joseph acquired a plot of forest from the authorities in order to expand his estate. He developed it into a baroque park and a
formal garden A formal garden is a garden with a clear structure, geometric shapes and in most cases a symmetrical layout. Its origin goes back to the gardens which are located in the desert areas of Western Asia and are protected by walls. The style of a form ...
.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 72Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg,'' Schweizerischer Künstführer, Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK, Bern, 2015, p. 33


Gallery

File:Schloss waldegg.JPG, Waldegg Castle, surrounded by its estate land. The 78 meters long façade unfolds its effect of a coulisse File:Schloss Waldegg Feldbrunnen.jpg, Waldegg Castle, panoramic view File:Schloss Waldegg, Solothurn - panoramio.jpg, Waldegg Castle in winter


References


Further reading

in alphabetical order * Andreas Affolter / Guillaume Poisson: ''Pierre-Victor de Besenval (1721–1791) – Une vie au service du roi de France,'' Société d'Histoire de la Suisse Romande (Fonds Butticaz) / Schloss Waldegg, 2024 * Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt: ''Mémoires de M. Le Baron de Besenval,'' écrits par lui-même, imprimés sur son manuscrit original et publiés par son exécuteur testamentaire M. A. J. de Ségur, imprimerie de Jeunehomme, rue de Sorbonne no. 4, Paris, 1805 – chez F. Buisson, libraire, rue Hautefeuille no. 31, Paris * Georg Carlen / André Schluchter: ''Schloss Waldegg'' (''Schweizerische Kunstführer'', Serie 98, Nr. 977). Bern, 2015 * Georg Carlen: ''Schloss Waldegg bei Solothurn : Brücke zwischen Zeiten und Kulturen''. Aare Verlag, Solothurn, 1991 * Gabrielle Claerr-Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris. La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt''. Riedisheim et Didenheim, Sundgau, 2015 * Jean-Jacques Fiechter: ''Le Baron Pierre-Victor de Besenval,'' Delachaux et Niestlé, Lausanne – Paris, 1993 * Jean-Jacques Fiechter: ''Baron Peter Victor von Besenval (1721–1791) – Ein Solothurner am Hofe von Versailles''. Rothus Verlag, Solothurn, 1994 * Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994 * Christian Renfer / Eduard Widmer: ''Schlösser und Landsitze der Schweiz,'' Ex Libris Verlag AG, Zürich, 1985 * Fabian Scherrer: ''Leuchtende Tage – vergessener Alltag auf Schloss Waldegg 1890–1990''. Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich, 2010 * Schweizerischer Ingenieur- und Architektenverband (Hrsg.): ''Das Bürgerhaus in der Schweiz – Kanton Solothurn.'' Band XXI. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1929 * Hanspeter Spycher: ''Gartenarchäologische Untersuchungen bei Schloss Waldegg''. In: ''Die Gartenkunst,'' 7, (1/1995), pp. 120–133


External links


Official website
*
List of castles in Switzerland This list includes castles and fortresses in Switzerland. Entries list the name and location of the castle, fortress or ruins in each Canton in Switzerland. Aargau Appenzell Ausserrhoden Appenzell Innerrhoden Basel-Landschaft, Bas ...

''Schloss Waldegg bei Solothurn''
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, Dokumentation, 31. Oktober 2023
''Schenkungs- und Kaufvertrag Domäne Schloss Waldegg''
Kanton Solothurn, 19. April 1963 {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldegg Castle Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Solothurn Castles in the canton of Solothurn