Support group for the preservation and research of the Turmhoelzle ruins

 Von PantaRhei - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Wall and keep of Wieladingen ruins.

Excursion with guided tour

The Wieladingen ruins, are the ruins of a spur castle located on a 540-meter-high mountain spur along the Lehnbach stream, above the Murg Valley near Wieladingen, a district of the municipality of Rickenbach.

Between 1984 and 1996, volunteers from the Förderkreis Burgruine Wieladingen association secured the remains of the ruins and made the tower accessible.

Honorary Chair Dr. Nauwerck, who has overseen the conservation of the ruins from the very beginning, and board members Mr. Hottinger and Mr. Burkart will lead the tour.

Guests are welcome.

• Meeting point: Schopfheim, parking lot at the corner of Wiesenweg and Am Stadtgraben. There, we’ll form carpools to drive to the parking lot near the castle on the road from Rippolingen to Willaringen (47.58652158294102, 7.996315238054697).
• Walk from the parking lot to the ruins: Starting at 2:45 p.m.; 10–15-minute walk, initially along a forest path, then up natural stone steps through a stream valley/moat to the ruins.
• Miscellaneous: Participation is at your own risk. Sturdy footwear is recommended. Bring a packed lunch.
• Following the excursion, we plan to have a social get-together at a restaurant in Schopfheim. The location will be announced during the excursion.

Register by July 14, 2026, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Review of the finds from the Turmhölzle excavation

In 1981, the eastern section of the castle, including the keep, was excavated by groups of students under the guidance of archaeologists, at the initiative of the town of Schopfheim.

The finds from this excavation are on display at the Zentrale Fundarchiv in Rastatt, which is part of the Baden-Württemberg State Museum of Archaeology.
On May 8, 2026,Dominik Baiker and Dr. Wolfgang Richter have reviewed the finds. This review provided an initial overview of the finds—it does not yet constitute a scientific analysis. The scientific analysis and documentation of the finds remain tasks for the future. Nevertheless, the review yielded important findings:

Archaeological finds

Ceramic find: pottery shard

The ceramic finds confirm the chronological assessment of the Turmhölzle site: construction of the castle began around 1100, and the castle was abandoned no later than 1200.

Among the finds is a considerable number of pot rim shards. The shape of the rims allows for an estimation of their age. The majority of the pot rims found date from the 12th century. A few pieces date to the period shortly after 1200. Some rim shards may also date from the second half of the 11th century, though this requires further investigation.

©Archäologie Baselland, Drawing: Gilgia Schneider

Drawing of a reconstructed similar cooking pot from the Altenberg ruins in the canton of Baselland (height approx. 22 cm).

Ceramic find: fragment of a stove tile

The Turmhölzle was already heated with a tiled stove. Among the ceramic finds are the remains of a so-called “pot tile.” This type of tile is the oldest known form of stove tile. In castles in northwestern Switzerland, this type of stove tile can be found from the second half of the 11th century until around 1100. The use of tiled stoves represented a significant advancement in room heating compared to open fires in fireplaces. The residents of Turmhölzle utilized this advanced heating method.

Photo: Dumitrache, Marianne: Heizanlagen im Bürgerhaus. In: Flüeler Marianne und Niklaus (Hrsg.): Stadtluft, Hirsebrei und Bettelmönch, die Stadt um 1300. Stuttgart 1992, S. 280 -287.)

Reconstruction of a muzzle-loading tiled stove at Bachritterburg Castle Kanzach, Biberach District.