A fortress was located in a bend of the river Aare, 1.6 km. to the west of Windisch (Vindonissa), near a ford. The fortress was built in the fourth century, perhaps around 370 AD during the reign of Valentinianus I. In the 9th and 10th century the walls were used in a fortification built by the Counts of Altenburg, so that they are partly preserved to a height of 7.5 meters. The present Schlösschen Altenburg was built in 1570. Today the complex contains a youth hostel next to the privately owned Haus Süss.
Schlösschen Altenburg. Photo: Wikimedia, Voyager.
Remains of the Roman outer wall. Photo: Wikimedia, Kulturgüterschutz Brugg.Excavations took place in 1920, by Samuel Heuberger, and between 1934 and 1949. The outer wall, up to 4 m. thick, had semicircular towers, two of which flanked the main entrance.
Plan of the fortress. Milosavljevic 2003, Abb. 2.
Reconstruction drawing of the fortress. Milosavljevic 2003, Abb. 14.Two inscriptions (EDCS-10800608, EDCS-11201826) and a gravestone with a relief from Vindonissa had been reused as building material.
Drawing of a reused gravestone from the first century. Milosavljevic 2003, Abb. 6.
Literature
Hartmann-Weber 1985, 166; Drack-Fellmann 1988, 374-375; Drack-Fellmann 1991, 91-92; Milosavljevic 2003.
[30-Aug-2023]
