My castle: A life for tradition
Who hasn't dreamed as a child of being lord or mistress of a castle one day? As romantic as the idea is, it often has little to do with reality. In fact, life in a castle sometimes comes at a high price. Two Swiss noble families offer a private glimpse behind the castle walls and the daily struggle to preserve their heritage.
The heating bills for the old walls are beyond imagination, often only a few of the dozens of rooms are habitable and there is no luxury to speak of. Two noble Swiss families can sing a loud song about this. The von Tscharner and von Gugelberg families have resided in their castles Reichenau and Salenegg for generations. Their existence has been inseparably connected to the old walls for centuries, the history of their families carved in stone.
But life in the castle leaves little room for romance. The battle against the ravages of time is arduous and costly. The old walls are bottomless barrels, the roof is repaired in one place, a wall crumbles elsewhere. It is a Sisyphean task that demands the dedication of the entire family, to the point of self-abandonment.
Film by Sibylle Tiessen
Broadcasting on 18th of September 2020 at 09.05pm on 3Sat
Music: POPVIRUS Library