Schloss Hauptwil (Hauptwil Castle)

In an effort to escape the business restrictions of the city, Hans Jacob Gonzenbach founded his business for linen production and trade in Hauptwil, Thurgau, in 1666. In the following years, the little hamlet grew into a flourishing production centre where – as a revolutionary business model in the day – all of the production steps were done by one company. The Hauptwil castle was built during the year 1665. The building has elements of a gothic stone house and the traditional building style with baroque shapes and decorations. The white facade is divided by horizontal rows of windows and has a pitched roof with gables. Due to the linen crisis at the end of the 18th century, textile production lost its importance in Hauptwil: the more fashionable cotton had replaced the material.