Iberg Castle (German: Ruine Iberg) is a ruined castle located on Iberg mountain in the municipality of Riniken in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Only a few remnants of the ruins are visible.
Castle History
Plan of Iberg CastleRuined main tower of the castle
The castle was built in the 11th Century on the northeastern edge of Iberg Mountain. This site consisted of a main building, a gatehouse and two outbuildings. Surrounding the site was the castle moat, which should protect against attacks from the south. As there are no written records of the castle nor the inhabitants, the only information about the castle comes from archaeological investigations. The castle was abandoned around 1200[1] or possibly later, at the end of the 12th or at the beginning of the 13th Century when a fire destroyed the castle.[2] During reconstruction, the moat was expanded and additional towers were added. However, the castle was abandoned before completion of work, possibly due to resistance from Murbach Abbey.
Since the area around the castle was held by the House of Habsburg and Murbach Abbey, it is likely that the castle was founded by the Habsburgs or by a Habsburg vassal.[3]
