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Burgen im Fels
Eine Untersuchung der mittelalterlichen Höhlen-, Grotten- und Balmburgen der Schweiz
This book has three parts. The first is a catalogue of Swiss cave castles. Most are located in the Alpine Cantons of Ticino and Valais, while a small number can be found in Cantons Graubünden, Solothurn, Bern, St Gallen, Basel-Land, Nidwalden and Vaud. A glance at some of the neighbouring countries (France, Italy, Austria) brings up four more sites. The section, which includes small finds and site plans enclosed in the book, describes the castles in respect of their formal aspects. “Castles in the rock” are divided into three groups: 1. cave castles, where the natural environment is such that a simple straight wall is sufficient to close the building off, 2. grotto castles, where the natural hollow only covers part of the ground-plan, necessitating one or two walls on the side, 3. castles in rock shelters, where the natural environment provides little more than a roof and just one wall. In the French-speaking areas of Canton Valais, such cavities in the rock are known as grotte, caverne, scex (lat. saxum= rock) as well as balma (Balmen) or barma from Celtic origins.
The second part provides a detailed description and architectural analysis of the individual structures.
The third part, finally, provides a cultural, historical, political and geographical context for the castles. Using the rock castles in the Valais as an example, Peter Kaiser convincingly shows that folkloristic research and oral history can provide a useful addition to the archaeological investigations.
Examining cave castles in inaccessible Alpine terrain challenges the athletic abilities of the archaeologists and requires climbing skills and reliable mountaineering gear.
