History
Zug Castle – then and now
The origins of the castle date from the 12th century, though the first evidence of settlement dates back even further. Based on the archaeological features, 26 different architectural phases dating from the 8th to the 20th centuries have been reconstructed. Who built the castle is not known. By around 1300 it was in the hands of the Habsburgs, who sometimes leased it out to the Knights of Hünenberg. Following the forced accession of Zug to the Swiss Confederation in 1352, Peter V von Hünenberg was the first private owner of the castle. Over the following centuries, it served various important Zug families as a prestigious residence.
The former seat of power becomes a museum
From 1979 to 1982 the building was extensively restored and opened its doors as an Historical Museum in 1983. Its mission is to collect, document and present the history of Zug from the High Middle Ages to the present. The labyrinthine castle on the edge of the historical centre of Zug is the oldest surviving secular building in Zug and one of the town’s major landmarks. The castle has housed the Historical Museum of Zug since 1983.
Key dates in the history of the museum
- 6th May 1852: Establishment of the “Sektion Zug des V-örtigen historischen Vereins” (after 1931 “Zuger Verein für Heimatgeschichte”, and from 16th March 2010 “Historischer Verein des Kantons Zug (HVZG)”)
- 18th May 1879: The Historical Museum opens to the public in the town hall of Zug.
- 1945: Zug Castle is bought by the local authorities.
- 1974: A comprehensive architectural survey is carried out by the Office of Monument Preservation based on the records from the excavation and architectural investigation undertaken by the Swiss National Museum in 1967.
- 1975: The “Museum in der Burg Zug” Foundation is established by the then Government Councillor and later Federal Councillor Dr. Hans Hürlimann (1918-1994). The canton takes over the castle property from the town and begins to restore the building for the establishment of a museum.
- 1978-1982: Zug Castle is renovated under the project management of the Municipal Building Department of Canton Zug.
- 1979: The first exhibition entitled “100 Jahre Historisches Museum Zug” [The Historical Museum Turns 100] is staged by the “new” museum in the former Museum of Art in Zug (Unteraltstadt 14, Zug).
- 4th December 1982: Ceremonial opening of the Museum Burg Zug. The first exhibition in the castle is dedicated to the church treasure of St Oswald and St Michael in Zug (“Die Kirchenschätze von St. Oswald und St. Michael in Zug”)
- 14th May 1983: The official opening of the Museum Burg Zug is celebrated with a castle festival.
