Spiez Castle
| Spiez Castle | |
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| Native name Schloss Spiez | |
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| Location | Spiez |
| Coordinates | 46°41′20.95″N 7°41′14.56″E / 46.6891528°N 7.6873778°ECoordinates: 46°41′20.95″N 7°41′14.56″E / 46.6891528°N 7.6873778°E |
| Height | 39 m (128 ft) |
| Built | 933 |
| Rebuilt | 15th to 18th centuries |
 Location of Spiez Castle in Switzerland
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Spiez Castle (German: Schloss Spiez) is a castle in the municipality of Spiez of the Swiss canton of Bern. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
According to Elogius Kiburger, the author of the Strättliger Chronicle, in 933 the King of Burgundy, Rudolph II, built the Castle. Shortly thereafter, the Freiherr von Strättligen settled in the castle. Portions of the current castle shield walls and main tower were built during the 12th century and by the 13th century the town of Spiez existed outside the castle walls. By 1280 the castle was listed as an Imperial fief under Vogt Richard de Corbières. In 1289 the Freiherr von Strättligen was co-owner of the castle along with a succession of other noble families. In 1308 King Albert I of Habsburg was murdered at Windisch on the Reuss, by his nephew Duke John Parricida. As part of their retaliation for the murder, the Habsburgs withdrew half of the Spiez fief from Thüring von Brandis and granted the whole fief to Johannes von Strättligen. Thirty years later, in 1338, Johannes sold the castle, town, church and surrounding villages to Johann II von Bubenberg who was the Schultheiss of Bern. By 1340, the Bubenberg appointed vogt took orders from Bern, but was obligated to raise troops for the Habsburgs. As Bern was de facto independent from their former overlords, the Habsburgs, this created an unstable situation which remained for over 40 years. After the Bernese and Swiss Confederation victory over the Habsburgs in the Battle of Sempach in 1386, the Habsburgs gave up their land claims west of the Aare, which included Spiez.
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