Gutenberg Castle is a preserved castle in the town of Balzers, Liechtenstein, the center of the municipality of Balzers. Gutenberg is one of five castles in the principality and one of two that have survived preserved to this day. Unlike Vaduz Castle in Vaduz, Gutenberg Castle does not serve as the residence of Liechtenstein's princely family and is open to the public as a museum. The castle is located on a hill near the center of Balzers and is accessible via a road known as Burgweg.
Burg Gutenberg History
The castle is located about 70 meters above the nearby village, on a hill that has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. Archaeological excavations have unearthed several prehistoric artifacts now on display at the Liechtenstein National Museum.
Gutenberg Castle began its existence as a medieval church and cemetery on a hilltop. In the early 12th century, the cemetery was obliterated and fortification of the old church structure slowly began with the addition of a surrounding wall, forming a simple roughly circular keep. During the twelfth century, several modifications followed, most notably the creation of the main tower as a vertical extension of the existing keep. Later, the tower was equipped with battlements.
In the 12th and early 13th centuries, the castle was owned by the Lords of Frauenberg, a noble family from the Swiss canton of Grisons. After the death of Heinrich von Frauenburg in 1314, the castle became the property of the House of Habsburg. At that time it was mainly used to guard the border areas between the local territories owned by the Habsburgs and those belonging to the independent Swiss cantons.