Culture

The history of counts, knights and damsels, battlements and loopholes, keep and bailey, palas residence andzwingerwall, roof truss and vault – many occupants left their own personal stamp on the architecture of Werdenberg Castle. Built as a typical castle of the High Middle Ages to secure passage into the neighbouring region of Toggenburg, it was converted into a palace and became the residence of an administrative official appointed by the town of Glarus. Remodelled as a bourgeois residence in the Romantic age, Werdenberg castle has recently been transformed into a palace of culture. And as a museum that presents 800 years of social history, the imposing edifice itself plays a central part in telling that story.

Successive phases in history can be read directly from the castle walls. Extensions and conversions, additional floors, openings made for windows, and whitewashed interiors bear witness to a constantly evolving history of use. Equipped with audio guides and stereo soundscapes, the castle is part of a museum tour that includes the Museums of Werdenberg. Thus the castle, the Städtli and the Schlangenhaus together form a cohesive narrative illuminating a historical landscape.

A vivid sense of how people lived in the region of Werdenberg in the past is conveyed by the displays in the Schlangenhaus – “serpent house”. From the earliest evidence of human settlement until the revival of interest in this unique ensemble of medieval timber buildings in the 1960s, the Schlangenhaus Museum takes the visitor on a fascinating journey from the distant past to the present day.

Administration by the city of Glarus ended, the Canton of St. Gallen was established; but before that the French settled in the old town, known as the Städtli, at the foot of the castle. Whether willingly or under pressure from the authorities, the inhabitants emigrated – going to war as mercenaries, to East Prussia as settlers, or to Santo Domingo as coffee plantation labourers. Around 1880 a new source of income came in the form of embroidery practised as a cottage industry in many Werdenberg homes, with parents as well as children working late into the night. The industry suffered crises, and many people became poor.

The Schlangenhaus, whose masonry corner once formed part of the town wall, invites you to explore its history yourselves. The exhibition tells the history of Werdenberg in an engaging way with short audio features and intriguing details.

Angebote Städtli und Schloss Werdenberg

A striking sculpture park has been created on a hill (Storchenbüel) in the middle of the municipality of Sevelen. Called GedankenBerg (“hill of thoughts”), the park has been created by Mali Gubser and Gert Gschwendtner. It covers an area of 20,000 m²and consists of fourteen features where visitors can pause for thought.
The work of Gert Gschwendtner abounds with what may be called observing figures. Contemplating them, viewers are compelled to become aware of their own perception. The artist has here created an impressive panopticon that sets the natural landscape, art, and cultural history in relation to each other.