This & That

Die Katzenburg erstrahlt in neuem Glanz

27. November 2024

The ruins of Lichtenstein Castle, affectionately known as Katzenburg because of its façade, have been successfully secured and conserved. It is now open to the public again.

The final work to conserve and secure the ruins of Lichtenstein Castle (Katzenburg) was completed at the beginning of November 2024. With the ceremonial inauguration on November 18, the city of Chur set an important milestone in the protection of its cultural heritage. "I am very pleased", said Sandra Maissen, the city councillor responsible, "that after intensive safeguarding and conservation work, Katzenburg Castle has been secured for the long term and is now open to the public. An important landmark of Haldenstein and Chur will thus be preserved for future generations". The city's great commitment to the preservation of cultural assets and the involvement of the monument preservation authorities underlines the importance of the Katzenburg as a cultural heritage site.

Pure rockfall protection was initially considered insufficient, which is why the city council decided in May 2023 to comprehensively secure and preserve the castle ruins. Despite the challenges posed by weather-related factors, the project was completed on time, on budget and to a high standard within a year.

Long-term preservation for the population

The work was carried out under the direction of the building construction department of the city of Chur in close cooperation with site manager and architect Gabriela Güntert, the monument preservation authorities and the Graubünden Archaeological Service. The latter documented the castle comprehensively and dated it precisely to the year 1202 by means of dendrochronological investigations. This refutes the earlier assumption that it was older and shows that the ruins of Haldenstein Castle were built at the same time as Katzenburg Castle. A maintenance plan developed jointly with the monument preservation and archaeological services ensures the long-term preservation and accessibility of the ruins through regular measures.

Financial support and long-term protection

The conservation project was carried out by the city of Chur with the support of the canton of Graubünden and the Nägeli Foundation. The canton covered a third of the costs (maximum CHF 252,000) of the total sum of CHF 820,000. This enabled professional conservation and long-term protection of the ruins of Lichtenstein Castle, which is now a listed building.

The castle trail and the diversity of Chur's castles

The restored Katzenburg is a central point on the Chur Castle Trail, which links the ruins of Haldenstein, Katzenburg and the unique Grottenstein cave castle. The long-term conservation of Grottenstein is still under consideration, as its location and geological features make it another important part of Chur's cultural heritage.

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.