Basel archaeologists uncover 14th-century aristocratic home

Baselland Archaeology has identified the long sought-after Weiherhaus in Gelterkinden, northern Switzerland. It is an aristocratic residence from the 14th-15th century.

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The stone building has now been uncovered, Baselland Archaeology announced on Monday.

For 90 years, it was assumed that the house of the Lords of Gelterkinden was located on what is now Rünenbergerstrasse. In 1936, the painter and local historian Fritz Pümpin discovered parts of the wall there. He concluded that this must be the Weiherhaus, which the chronicler Aegidius Tschudi had described as a ruin around 1540.

Further parts of the building came to light in 2021, but the traces did not allow a well-founded dating and interpretation of the building. Now, however, the situation is different: Baselland Archaeology has been uncovering the building since November. It is 14 metres wide and at least 18 metres long, according to the statement. The aristocratic residence was surrounded by a moat.

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The team of experts identified it as the Weiherhaus, which served the Lords of Gelterkinden as a replacement for Scheidegg Castle, which was abandoned in 1320, according to the statement. Noble residences protected by moats were common in the valleys of the Basel area in the late Middle Ages. Some of them were developed into veritable castles, for example in Pratteln, Binningen and Bottmingen.

However, the Weiherhaus in Gelterkinden fell victim to a fire in the 15th century. How this happened is the subject of ongoing investigations, according to the report.

Adapted from German by AI/ts