Teufen Castle

The castle was built in 1638 by the Junker von Meiss. In 1838, Gottfried von Meiss, the son of the last lord of the manor, sold the entire property to Heinrich Hürlimann of Rosenberg in Feldbach. In 1840, Hürlimann sold the property to Baron von Müllermann from Schlettstadt (Sélestat, Alsace). The Baron lived in Teufen only for a short time. In 1843, Joh. Heinrich Merian-von der Mühl from Basel took over the castle complex and sold it in 1850 for 132,000 francs to his brother Eduard Merian.
Merian had the castle building with its distinctive stepped gable - with the exception of the agricultural buildings - demolished and had the current castle built in Neo-Gothic style between 1850 and 1856.

On the hill, in the immediate vicinity of the castle complex, Eduard Merian wanted to have a castle-like magnificent villa built in English Neo-Gothic style. Work continued for six years, but in 1856, the work was suddenly stopped. Merian was placed under guardianship at the instigation of concerned heirs. The striking building remained unfinished until early 1984 and served for decades as a shed for tools and wagons.

In 1856, the Canton of Zurich bought the entire complex at its "new value" of 300,000 francs. In 1872, J. J. Keller took over the entire complex as a tenant. In 1875, the state sold the castle estate to the tenant for a total sum of 211,600 francs. From 1876-1905, a widely known inn was run in the castle. The brickworks below the castle was operated as Teufen's only larger industry until after the end of World War II. Merian's unfinished magnificent villa was only completed between 1975 and 1984 by a new owner.

When the people of Teufen speak of the "New Castle", they are thinking of this building. If, however, they speak of the "Old Castle", it is the equally old but larger castle with its extensive, romantic garden complex and the extensive viticulture and agricultural operation.