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SIGHTSEEING WALK THROUGH AARAU

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1 Stadtmuseum 2 Haus zum Schlossgarten 3 4 Graben 4 Obere Mühle 5 Government building 6 Landjägerwachthaus 7 5 Obertor and the Obertorturm 8 Town Church 9 Halde 10 Rore Tower and Town Moat AARAU: FOLLOWING THE FOOTPRINTS OF HISTORY AN EXCITING WALK TRHOUGH THE OLD TOWN

Dear visitor Our tour begins at the Schlossplatz (Castle Square), and leads along the Kultur & Kon- Schlössli Town Museum You are cordially invited to follow in the footsteps of history and ex- gresshaus KuK (Culture and Congress House) plore the beautiful Old Town of Aarau on foot. Our sightseeing walk to its northern end. Built in 1883 and ren- takes about 45 minutes and leads you through enchanting alleys to ovated and extended in 1995/96, the KuK the town’s many places of interest. Here we present some of these in comprises today four halls. To the right we more detail and with interesting additional information. do see now the Stadtmuseum Aarau 1 . The tower and Palas originate around 1200 If after your expedition you still have questions, the «aarau info» and were originally surrounded by a circular team would be only too pleased to provide answers and supply you wall. («Palas» an older form of «Palast», re- with more information brochures. On request we can also organ- fers to the residential and state rooms of a ise guided tours of the town or the Oberturm (Upper Tower), led by medieval fortification or weir system.) The professional town guides. These tours can also be booked for small complex first served as residence for the groups and in different languages. Kyburg service gentry, later for those of the Habsburgs. During the 16th century, the With approximately 20,000 inhabitants, Aarau is considered a small castle passed from one middle-class fami- city. It is, however, the centre of an urban agglomeration that is home ly to another. From 1862 to 1897, the paint- to about 90,000 inhabitants. Due to its location on the Swiss railway er Christian Emil Rothpletz, who was also a and road network, the capital of the Canton of is a preferred colonel, owned the Schlössli with his fami- commercial and training centre, as well as a meeting place for the ly. In 1939, his children Emil and Frieda do- whole of for congresses and conventions. nated the building to the town, whereup- on the museum was opened on the ground In 2014 Aarau has been awarded the floor. Frieda Rothpletz continued to live on the upper floor with the right of lifelong The Wakker Prize is awarded annually by the Swiss Heritage Society. residence. After her death in 1961, the liv- He is regarded as recognition for cities that take care for their village. ing spaces were also integrated into the Aarau won the award because the city, despite compression of the Town Museum. In the new installed perma- living space, could preserve the different neighbourhoods. nent exhibition, «100 x Aarau» one of the told stories is dedicated to her. With the en- largement of the museum, built by the ar- chitects Diener & Diener, the carefully reno- vated tower has got an annex. This new part with the remarkable façade, designed by Fe- lix Müller, has rooms for temporary exhibi- tions and events, for mediation, workshop, studio and office.

Further information: www.stadtmuseum.ch

18 19 Back on Schlossplatz, at the level of the the third largest villa in town – to house Returning once more to Schlossplatz, to our entrance to the KuK, we turn left through the Helvetic government. After the Helvet- left we now see the «Laurenzenvorstadt», the iron gate and continue onwards to the ic government was moved elsewhere, the a representative street with houses in the «Haus zum Schlossgarten» (House at the house passed back into private ownership. classicist style from the Helvetic period. We castle gardens) 2 . In 1798, this building Since 1989, the «Haus zum Schlossgarten» cross the street and go to the adjacent «Ka- served as the first Swiss seat of govern- has belonged to the Local Citizen’s Commu- sinopark», which was the location of the ment for about five months and accommo- nity of Aarau, who restored it and opened town of Aarau’s cemetery until 1806. To- dated the Helvetic directorate. At the time, it to the public as an exhibition space and day we find ourselves looking at a statue of the , a centralised Swiss prestige building. the author (1771 – 1848), state, was established and proclaimed in created in 1894 by the sculptor Alfred Lanz. Aarau under French supremacy. The «Haus Opening hours Parallel to the Kasinopark runs a tree-lined zum Schlossgarten» was thus to some ex- Wednesday/Friday/Saturday noon to 5 pm; street, the Graben («moat») 3 . The Graben, tent Switzerland’s first federal Thursday noon to 8 pm; along which we now embark on a comfort- building. Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. able stroll, used to be until 1821 a dry moat of about twenty metres wide and up to five The first two floors of the central part of the www.forumschlossplatz.ch metres deep. It formed part of the city for- building were constructed around 1721 at tifications, but at the same time the practi- Graben the city gates as a private garden residence cal citizens of Aarau kept deer in it – intend- of the textile manufacturer . Over ed for the pot. Today the plane trees watch the years, the building was extended and over the vegetable market on Saturday in 1792 upgraded to a prestige building. In mornings, the monthly markets, the Markt House No. 15 as it is popularly known). This 1798, the town acquired the building – then der Aarauer Gewerbetreibenden MAG (the house has its own special history, having Aarau Traders’ Market, an autumn fair the been moved 50 metres south to its present last weekend in September) or the «Rüe- location in 1968 – in those days quite a spec- blimärt» (Carrot Market), famous for miles tacle for the entire population. around, which takes place the first Wednes- day in November. At the southernmost part of the Graben, at the «Holzmarkt» (wood market), we get The row of houses to the right of the Graben to see the «Wehrmännerdenkmal» (soldier formerly made up the outer city wall – the monument), created by Ernst Suter in 1949. Hapsburgermauer (Hapsburg Wall) – until There we turn left into the Hintere Vorstadt about 1800. On the outer side of the Graben, (rear suburb). Most of the houses on the two commanding classicist middle-class right are relatively young: they date from houses have had pride of place since around the second half of the 19th century. Howev- 1790. Today the town library is housed in er, all the buildings abide by specific build- the larger of the two, the former Freyhaus ing regulations that were laid down during (or «Hübscherhaus» – the prettier house – or medieval times.

20 Haus zum Schlossgarten 21 At the end of the rear suburb, we reach the After passing through the passage way at To the west of the complex of buildings is «Obere Mühle» (Upper Mill) 4 . In front of the Obere Mühle, we take a few steps to the Aargauer Kunsthaus (Art Gallery) with its northern façade is the «Bezirksbrun- the right and find ourselves on Aargauer- its glass roof; attached to it the cantonal nen» (cantonal fountain) by Bruno Egger. platz opposite the government building library, dominated by the book tower. The This fountain was a gift from the canton 5 . This impressive building, known locally Aargauer Kunsthaus opened in 1959 and to the town of Aarau on the occasion of its as the «Oberes Rathaus» (Upper Town Hall) was expanded in 2003 under the direction celebration of «700 years of town charter» is the seat of the Aargau cantonal govern- of the architects Herzog & de Meuron, in in 1983. The Obere Mühle with its decora- ment. Its central wing was constructed in collaboration with the Swiss artist Remy tive staircase tower is a late Gothic build- 1739 by Abraham Rothpletz as a stately res- Zaugg. Remy Zaugg’s eyecatching writing ing dating from 1608. Powered by the lo- idence in the style of Louis XV. In 1807 the on the façade – «ICH / DAS BILD / ICH SEHE» cal stream, it once served as a flourmill. house, which had shortly before become (I / THE IMAGE / I SEE) is to be seen as an in- When a turbine was installed in 1893, the the «Gasthof zum goldenen Löwen» (Gold- vitation to visitors to enter into a dialogue mill was converted into what was known en Lion Inn), passed into the hands of the with the works of art they look at. The Aar- as the «Lichtzentrale» (lighting centre), the then still young cantonal government and gauer Kunsthaus houses one of the most town of Aarau’s first power station. When was transformed into a classicist govern- beautiful and most comprehensive public electricity production started to be out- ment palace through a long series of re- collections of contemporary Swiss art. sourced entirely in 1907, the building un- modelling and extensions (1811–1834). The derwent a variety of alterations, such as cantonal parliament meets right behind it Opening hours breaking through a passage way, and was in the Grand Council Building, one of the Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm; completely renovated in 1995. Before we major classicist works in Aargau (construct- Thursdays 10 am to 8 pm. walk through this passage way, let’s first ed 1826–1828). take another look at the colourful Felix www.aargauerkunsthaus.ch Hofmann sgraffito «Bachfischet» (1956) Now we turn north towards the Old Town that represents an Aarau tradition dating back hundreds of years.

Obere Mühle

22 Government building 23 once again and stroll through the Vordere We continue straight ahead to the corner of Right next to the former Landjägerwach- Vorstadt (front suburb). There had been a the Ziegelrain, where to the left we discover thaus are the eye-catching Obertor and village on this site even before the Kyburgs the «Landjägerwachthaus» 6 (gendarme the Obertorturm 7 . The tower measures founded the town. This village of «Zen Hu- guardhouse). This building was constructed 61.24 metres from the street to the top, sen» was incorporated into the town in in 1821 in the classicist tradition, one of the making it the highest preserved medieval 1369, but since it was still outside the town most momentous periods for Aarau. The city tower in Switzerland. Its foundation is walls, it remained vulnerable to hostile at- open columned hall – even on such a hum- an additional 5.5 metres below street lev- tacks. On the right, we discover the «Bug- ble scale a metaphor for the ruling public el. The lower part of the tower was built in geligässli », a passage between the rear and authority – at the same time also clearly the 13th century. In the 16th century, three front suburbs. Apart from serving as a con- emphasised the public nature of the build- floors were added and it was converted nection between the suburbs, it also func- ing. The two lower floors have since been into a residential and watch tower. It was tioned as an «Ehgraben». «Ehgräben» were made into multifunctional rooms called then that the roof got its striking shape, narrow and undeveloped strips of land that the «Roschtige Hund» (The Rusty Dog). which exists to this day. Until about 1865, lay between the houses of the medieval the lower floors served as a prison, while towns and were used for sewage disposal. The Local Citizens Community of Aarau the tower guard and his family lived on Because of the «pestilential stench» in the does hire out this space on request. the tenth floor until 1876. The tower is Ehgräben, the adjacent walls of the hous- home to a mechanical clock with a pendu- es had as few windows as possible. Today, lum that has been ticking since 1532 and most of the almost one dozen Ehgräben in to this day is wound by hand every day. A Aarau are closed off with wooden pallets sundial adorns the southern face of the or doors, but they can be visited on a guid- tower, and the 1966 painting «Totentanz» ed city tour that may be booked with aarau (Dance of Death) by Felix Hoffmann above info. it on the same wall serves as a reminder of time and transience. A «Glockenspiel» The «Saxerhaus» is an imposing middleclass () of eleven bells weighing be- home on the corner of Vordere Vorstadt / tween 12 and 85 kilograms hangs high up Rain and dates back to 1693. The first hos- in the tower. On festival days, a carillon- pital of the town of Aarau was located here neur plays them by hand. Nine of the bells from 1344. A fountain in front of the house were given to the town of Aarau by the lo- serves as a reminder to the founder of the cal bell foundry Rüetschi on the occasion hospital, Gertrud Wagner. Across from of the 600-year anniversary of the found- it, we see the site of the former inn «Zum ry. A gatehouse was added to the tower wilden Mann» (The Wild Man). in the 14th century as part of the town’s Obertorturm expansion. This was converted and ex- tended in 1928 and bears the coat of arms pyramid of the German Empire / Town of Aarau / Berne above the gate.

24 Landjägerwachthaus 25 We walk through the passage next to Straight ahead to the north, our walk takes remaining witnesses to its Catholic origin. the gate and are now between the gates, us to Kirchplatz (Church Square), where we The Baroque tower construction was erect- which is what this place is also called reach the town church 8 . This three-nave ed in the 17th century on top of the already («Zwischen den Toren»). The fountain to was under construction- existing Käsbissen tower. When the ban on the right is named for and dedicated to from 1471 to 1478 on the site of an earlier, organs was lifted, the «gracious lords of Count Hartmann von Kyburg, who estab- smaller church. About 60 years before that, » donated 1755 a new organ to Aarau. lished the town of Aarau around 1248 on in 1415 to be precise, Aarau was conquered It arrived in Aarau by raft on the river and the rocky hillock jutting out deep in the by the Bernese and thus became a Bernese was installed the following year on the rood Aar lowlands. The Kyburg town wall, con- municipal town. When Aarau converted to screen balcony. In the meantime, the organ nected to the smaller inner gate, protected the Reformed Church under pressure from had been adorned with a remarkable Ba- the town, which was subdivided into four the Bernese in 1528, all images of the saints roque organ casework by the famous Wet- «Stöcke» (blocks of houses). The houses com- and the twelve altars were removed from ting wood carver Wiederkehr (the casework prising these blocks, the layout of which has the church, as was the organ, as a result of refers to the outer aspect of the organ). The been preserved until today, had their main the ban that had been imposed on organs. modern church windows – a stained-glass façades facing the street; in the centre of The beautiful rood screen balcony in front series – are by local artists Felix Hoffmann the squares are backyards and Ehgräben. In of the chancel inside the church is one of the (chancel) and Roland Guignard (nave). 1264, only a few decades after the founding of the town, the last male heir of the Kyburg On Kirchplatz we find the «Gerechtigkeits- lineage died. The Hapsburgs followed them brunnen» (Fountain of Justice) with its Ba- as the new rulers in 1273. Eberhard had mar- roque statue of Lady Justice, dating back ried into the Kyburg inheritance through to the 17th century. (The original statue is Anna, the daughter. Shortly thereafter, the in the town museum). Until 1905, the foun- town was expanded, enlarged and given a tain was on the crossroads of Kronesgasse/ second outer ring wall. Kirchgasse/Rathausgasse, in the Middle Ages also the site of the pillory. From Kirch- We now turn to the left, go through the pic- platz you can enjoy a beautiful view to- turesque Golattenmattgasse and contin- wards the west: one first sees the boroughs ue along the «Lochstägli», a small staircase of Halden and Schachen below, with the on the right, into Milchgasse. This alleyway, open Schachen area (Allmend) beyond it – a popular living quarters at all times, is lined local recreation area with a variety of sports with well-kept town houses with beautiful- and recreation facilities (swimming pool, ly painted «Dachründen» (eaves). athletics stadium, soccer fields and eques- trian stadium). In the distance, one sees the striking Gösgen church, built on the site of a ruined castle, and the Gösgen nuclear pow- er plant. The nearby rise in the north.

26 Town Church 27 Now we take the church staircase down to The Halde is a well-preserved street with The town that the Kyburgs founded in the lower town with the merging streets of mainly late Gothic townhouses. The Halde 1248 was originally confined to the pla- Golattenmattgasse and Halde 9 . At the gate used to give the citizens of Aarau ac- teau on top of the cliffs. At that time, the bottom of the steps is the extensively ren- cess to one of their agricultural areas, the Rore tower 10a was a freestanding «castle ovated retirement home of Golatti. This is Schachen. On the Halde we can distinguish in the town» and had its own moat. Today, where the nunnery of St Ursula was found- another two former gate openings, the the tower can still be seen easily from the ed in 1270; it was abolished in 1528 during «Chatzetörli» and the «Ländtetörli». These Halde, although it was incorporated into the . The group of buildings side exits of the town used to lead to the the municipal Town Hall on three sides af- then first served as a Latin school, later as gardens on the other side of the wall and to ter the castle passed into the city’s posses- a hospital and sanatorium for the poor be- the landing-places on the River Aar. The out- sion in 1515. Further through the Halde we fore it was converted into a silk ribbon fac- lines of the Aar and Renzen gates (Laurenzen go, underneath the Town Hall arch to Zoll- tory at the end of the 18th century. Since the gate) can be seen in the paving of the alleys. rain. From Zollrain we have a view towards middle of the 19th century, it has been used the River Aar and the Aar Bridge, which in as a municipal retirement home. The little 1949 replaced the chain bridge that had park with its beautiful old trees opposite been there for hundreds of years. We turn the main building is still called «Spittelgar- our gaze up Zollrain, where at the corner ten » (hospital garden) today. of the Town Hall we marvel at the «Fähr- mann» (Ferryman) by Alexander Zschokke, On the rocks below the town church, the a sculpture reminiscent of the former ferry former southern church portal has been and shipping trade on the River Aar. rebuilt. It had been added during one ren- ovation and removed again during a later renovation. The new portal was created by Eduard Spörri and represents the Wise and the Foolish Virgins.

Rore Tower

Halde 28 29 Another few steps and we are facing the To the south of the Town Hall is the broad By now you must surely be ready for some main entrance of the Municipal Town Hall Rathausgasse, previously called Markt- refreshments. Make yourself comfortable 10b . Over the centuries, since the recon- gasse. This is where you will see some of in one of our inviting restaurants or ca- struction of the Town Hall in 1515, this build- the most beautifully painted gables, some fes and reflect on your sightseeing walk ing has been extended and modified con- of which are decorated with coats of arms. through the Old Town. We wish you a siderably. The first big alteration took place On the corner of Kirchgasse, the «Haus zum pleasant stay in Aarau and hope to see you around 1660, and in 1772 the Gothic gable Erker» (House at the bay) is also worth see- back again soon for another visit. was converted into a Baroque crow-step ing. This is a Gothic building with a framed gable. The east and west wings were add- attic floor and a Baroque bay. In the Mid- Your «aarau info» team ed in the 19th century, and in 1957 the en- dle Ages, the pillory was located diagonal- tire building was restored. In the entrance ly across from here. House No. 22 is a beau- Opening hours hall of the Town Hall (accessible during the tiful example of a late Gothic middle-class Monday 1:30 pm to 6 pm; city administration’s office hours) is where home. The front of the house was later ad- Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm; you’ll find the glass paintings «Bachfischet» ditionally decorated with ornaments in a Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. and «Maienzug », both by Felix Hoffmann, late Gothic/Baroque mixed form. We re- which depict these two historic Aarau tra- trace some of our steps and turn towards ditions. The sculpture «Meerjungfrau» by the east into Kronengasse, where we can Ernst Suter at the staircase is a reminder of marvel at more of the beautiful eaves, the town’s location on the river. There are among them some that are modern, such several art exhibitions in the main stair- as those of the Restaurant Krone. Now we case during the course of the year, and on continue our way into the Laurenzentor- the top floor of the Rore Tower, the tower gasse, passing the former post office, orig- parlour serves the town council as recep- inally the site of the historic Aarauer de- tion room. The rest of the Town Hall con- partement store until 1921. Today in this sists exclusively of offices and boardrooms. beautiful building is located the local tour- The «Einwohnerrat» (Town Council), has ist office aarau info. At the end of the Old the right to use the cantonal Grand Coun- Town, where once the Laurenzentor guard- cil Chamber. ed the entrance to the town, we reach Schlossplatz, where we started our tour. Tip The brochure «Kunst im öffentlichen Raum» (Public Art)

Municipal Town Hall 30 31