It recently happened to a resident of Habsburg (Canton of Aargau). When he tried to book a room at a hotel in Austria, stating his place of residence as ‘Habsburg’, he was met with disbelief. Habsburg in Switzerland? But Habsburg is an Austrian dynasty and an Austrian name!

In other countries and even in Switzerland, too, Habsburg is not immediately associated with Switzerland, let alone with the village and castle of Habsburg. Although the historical roots of the Habsburg dynasty also stretch back to Alsace and, later, to the Breisgau region in Baden (Germany), Habsburg Castle, after which the village of Habsburg is named, is the place where the origins of Europe’s most powerful dynasty lie – the dynasty where ‘the sun never sets’. Until 1415, the canton of Aargau was the epicentre of this dynasty.

The first Holy Roman Emperor from the Habsburg dynasty was Rudolf I (1218–1291). He initially chose Basel as his principal residence, but for various reasons it did not materialise. A magnificent tomb, adorned with coats of arms, for Queen Anna and her son Charles was created in Basel Cathedral in 1281. Although the remains of the deceased were transferred to Saint-Blasien in 1770 and on to Saint-Paul-im-Lavanttal (Carinthia, Austria) in 1809, this tomb bears witness to the Habsburgs’ interest in Basel.

The penultimate emperor, Emperor Franz Joseph II, and the most famous of the Habsburgs, his wife empress Sisi

The Habsburgs’ Ancestral Lands

The ‘Habsburgs’ Ancestral Lands’ project was presented to the public on 17 September at Habsburg Castle. The ‘Habsburgs’ Ancestral Lands’ Association (Stammlande der Habsburger) unites the 12 sites in the canton of Aargau that are closely linked to the origins and early history of the Habsburg dynasty.

The presentation of the ‘Stammlande der Habsburger’ project on 17 September in Habsburg Castle

The presentation of the ‘Stammlande der Habsburger’ project

It promotes these Aargau sites dating from the early period (c. 1020–1415) of the Habsburgs as cultural and tourist attractions to a wide audience. The association highlights that the history of the Habsburgs also comprises an intangible heritage: namely, the history of a noble family passed down orally from generation to generation. It is upon this that the unique legend of the Habsburg dynasty is based.

The association is supported by the following members: Baden, Bremgarten, Brugg, Muri Abbey, Laufenburg, Rheinfelden, the Museum Aargau with its six sites – Habsburg Castle, Königsfelden Abbey, Hallwyl Castle, Wildegg Castle, Wettingen Abbey and Lenzburg Castle – as well as Aargau Tourism.

Aims and Projects

The association has set itself the aim of making the material and immaterial cultural heritage, as well as the history of this dynasty, accessible to a wide audience in Switzerland and other European countries. In particular, it seeks to collaborate with local organisations in Alsace and regions in Baden (Germany).

As their first project, the association and its partners are organising a travelling exhibition on the origins of this dynasty, starting at Habsburg Castle.

Two descendants of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine on 17 September 2026 at Habsburg Castle

The Habsburgs in Switzerland

The history of the Habsburgs in Switzerland did not end with the incorporation of the Frick Valley (Fricktal) into the canton of Aargau and of Tarasp (canton of Graubünden) in 1803. Nor did the transfer of Rhäzüns to the canton of Graubünden in 1819 mark the end of the Habsburg saga in Switzerland.

Finally, Karl von Habsburg lived in Basel from 1919 to 1935, and Zita von Habsburg (1892–1989) lived in Zizers (Canton of Graubünden). Furthermore, the hearts of the last emperor, Karl I (1887–1922), and his wife Zita are housed in the former Muri Abbey, which was founded in 1027 by Count Radbot of Habsburg and his wife Ita of Lorraine.

Count Radbot of Habsburg. Image: from the travelling exhibition at Habsburg Castle

(Source and further information:  Stammlande der Habsburger)