Ufenau

Coordinates: 47°13′05″N 8°46′54″E / 47.21806°N 8.78167°E / 47.21806; 8.78167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ufenau island
Höfe

Ufenau is an

Lake Zürich in Switzerland between Freienbach (0.9 km (0.56 mi) away) and Rapperswil (2.5 km (1.6 mi) away). Highlights on Ufenau include St. Peter & Paul church, St. Martin's chapel, and Ufenau's idyllic landscape in the Frauenwinkel
protected area.

Geography

Ufenau lies in

Höfe district in the Canton of Schwyz
. The island measures 112,645 m2 (1,212,500 sq ft) in all, 470 m (1,540 ft) from east to west and 220 m (720 ft) from north to south. The highest point of the island is 423 m (1,388 ft) above sea level or 17 m (56 ft) above lake level on 406 m (1,332 ft). Swimming, camping and other leisure activities are forbidden, as it is a protected area.

On occasion of the formation of the Alps, the fossilized sediments material of the body of water between the Ricken and Etzel chains unfolded. There arose the typical rock bands that form the

Heilighüsli. During the last Ice Age the island was under a thick layer of ice. Ufnau consists of two parallel rock ridges: the hard layers of conglomerate rock in the south and the northern sandstone ridge survived the sanding by the glacier.[1]

Transport

The first steamship stopped at the northern shore in 1857. 15 years later a landing gate was built in the south, and in 1881 the present ship gate for touristic use was established in the north; the southern ship gate gave location to a small harbour that is used for private-owned motorboats and sailing yachts.

Tourist boat trips, run by the

Zürich-Bürkliplatz and Rapperswil
.

  • westerly view of Ufenau island as seen from ZSG ship MS Helvetia
    westerly view of Ufenau island as seen from ZSG ship MS Helvetia
  • Ufenau as seen from the southern privately used jetty
    Ufenau as seen from the southern privately used jetty
  • Ufenau as seen from the Frauenwinkel protected area
    Ufenau as seen from the Frauenwinkel protected area
  • Ufenau as seen from Feusisberg towards Etzel Kulm
    Ufenau as seen from Feusisberg towards Etzel Kulm

History

Ufenau and upper Lake Zurich, Lützelau, Rapperswil and its wooden bridge to Hurden in the background (1829)

In 1st and 2nd century, the remains of a Roman temple are dated, broken during

Otto I to Einsiedeln Abbey, that still is its owner. In 926 or some years later, St. Peter & Paul church' preceding building was given by the Hunfridings noblewoman Reginlinda and Burchard II, Duke of Swabia, in addition with a house for herself and her son Adalrich. Reginlinda died in 958 and is buried in Einsiedeln. In 973 later Saint Adalrich (Canonization
in 1659) died on Ufenau.

Historians mention a 10th-century ferry station assumably at the so-called Einsiedlerhaus in Rapperswil – in 981 AD as well as the vineyard on the Lindenhof hill – between Kempraten on lake shore, Lützelau and Ufenau island and assumably present Hurden, which allowed the pilgrims towards Einsiedeln to cross the lake before the prehistoric bridge at the Seedamm isthmus was re-built in 1358.[2] In 1798 the Helvetic Republic secularized the Einsiedeln Abbey's property, and Ufenau was given to the non-durable Canton of Linth. In 1805 Ufenau was given by the merchant Family Curti from Rapperswil to the Einsiedeln Abbey.

Vineyards and restaurant as seen from the north

5800 Vitis vinifera Blauburgunder (Pinot noir) were planted in 1986. The Einsiedeln Abbey owns 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of the Ufenau vineyards which are cultivated by its winery.[3]

On 7 December 2003 the Ufenau association was founded, one year later «Freunde der Insel Ufnau». Friends of Ufenau island is a booster club to finance some projects for maintenance of the buildings located on the island, including both churches, and for the restaurant's renewal. It supports a long-time idea called «Insel der Stille» (island of silence), including a path way for disabled people around the island (completed in 2007), and regeneration of the island's shore areas to prevent increased erosion.

St. Peter & Paul church and St. Martin's chapel

St. Peter and Paul church
St. Martin's chapel

The present St. Peter & Paul church was built in 1141/42 (first mentioned in 970) and renewed in 1958/59. For hundred of years, it was the

Ulrich Zwingli, served as pastor on Ufenau. One year later, Klarer convinced Zwingli, to refuge Ulrich von Hutten on Ufenau, where he died in seclusion. In 1968, his remains were identified, and buried in 1970 under a tombstone besides St. Peter & Paul church. Hutten's two years in exile on the island are immortalized by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer in Huttens letzte Tage (Hutten's last days).[4]

St. Martin's chapel, few meters away, is dated in the 7th century. It was renewed in 1933/34 and in 1964/65. St. Martin's was built on the remains of a former

Gallo-Roman temple dating back to the 2nd century. Until the early 14th century, both churches were also important cultural and intellectual centres for the communities dotted around Lake Zurich. A small wooden bridge to Hurden is mentioned until 1430, so-called «Kilchweg in die Uffnow» meaning pathway to the Ufenau church.[5]

  • St. Peter and Paul church
    St. Peter and Paul church
  • interior
    interior
  • Saint Adalric, fresco in the church
    Saint Adalric, fresco in the church
  • St. Martin chapel
    St. Martin chapel
  • Saint Adalric's shrine
    Saint Adalric's shrine
  • Noblewoman Regelinda of Swabia and the churches on the Ufenau island, St. Peter and Paul church
    Noblewoman Regelinda of Swabia and the churches on the Ufenau island, St. Peter and Paul church

Saint Adalric's

Zurich
soldiers destroyed the altars and parts of both churches and have stolen St. Peter & Paul's two church bells. In 1736 St. Peter & Paul was rebuilt and the bells were replaced; St. Martin's chapel was renewed in 1790.

2016–2018 renovation

Zu den zwei Raben inn in June 2016

On 21 March 2015, the monks of

Swiss francs, then hired architects Pius Bieri and Frank Roskothen to lead the work.[9] The application was approved on 8 October 2015 and began shortly thereafter. The work cost 7 million Swiss Francs (CHF), of which four million francs were collected by the Friends of Ufenau Island, the municipality of Freienbach, and Canton Schwyz. For the missing funds, the Einsiedeln Abbey agreed the acquisition of a substantial share of the construction costs.[10] The island was closed to the public until the completion of renovations in early 2018, officially reopening on the 23rd.[11]

Cultural heritage

Ufnau – correctly spelled «Ufnau», but «Ufenau» is commonly used – and the

Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance a Class A objects of national importance.[13]

Literature

References

  1. ^ Verein Freunde der Insel Ufnau. "Willkommen auf der Ufnau – ein abwechslungsreicher Rundgang" (PDF) (in German). ufnau.ch. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  2. Kapuzinerkloster Rapperswil
    . Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  3. ^ "Zum Wümmet mit dem Schiff fahren" (in German). Zürichsee-Zeitung. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2015-10-02.
  4. ^ Huttens letzte Tage by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer on Project Gutenberg
  5. ^ Hurden: History
  6. ^ Einsiedeln Abbey acclaims to seal Aldarich's Relic since 1959.
  7. ^ "Ufenau-Restaurant wird ab Sommer umgebaut" (PDF). Zürichsee-Zeitung (in German). 26 January 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Über uns" (in German). Ufnau Island Restaurant. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Baugesuch für Umbauten auf der Insel Ufenau eingereicht" (in German). 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Ufenau-Restaurant wird für 6.5 Millionen saniert" (in German). Zürichsee-Zeitung. 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  11. ^ "Medienmitteilung Insel Ufnau" (PDF) (in German). Einsiedeln Abbey. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Frauenwinkel" (in German). Pro Natura (Switzerland). Retrieved 2014-11-06.
  13. ^ "A-Objekte KGS-Inventar" (PDF). Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Amt für Bevölkerungsschutz. 2015-01-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  14. ^ Fredy Kümin. "Vereinsgeschichte" (in German). ufnau.ch. Retrieved 2014-12-07.

External links

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