Falkenstein castle ruins (on the Ranna)
| Falkenstein castle ruins | ||
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 Falkenstein castle ruins today |
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| Creation time : | 12th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Hofkirchen in the Mühlkreis | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 29 '38 " N , 13 ° 46' 57" E | |
| Height: | 490 m above sea level A. | |
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The Falkenstein castle ruins are located above the Rannatal near Hofkirchen im Mühlkreis in the Rohrbach district in Upper Austria . It was first mentioned in a document in 1140. Falkenstein was a large castle complex and an important aristocratic residence, over whose possession violent disputes were fought in the Middle Ages. A historically significant personality from Falkenstein was Zawisch von Falkenstein († 1290). From Falkenstein, Schlägl Abbey and the district capital Rohrbach were founded.
location
Today's ruin of the hilltop castle lies on a rock ledge at 490 m above sea level that slopes steeply on three sides to the Ranna river flowing past it to the west . A. Sea level and is located near the village of the same name Falkenstein in the municipality of Hofkirchen. From the center of Hofkirchen the distance as a crow flies is approx. 2.3 km, from the confluence of the Ranna into the Danube the facility is 2.2 km away.
You can get to the castle ruins if you drive from Hofkirchen im Mühlkreis in the direction of Altenhof and at the Meierhof on the road, follow the signposted path to the Falkenstein castle ruins (after 100 m from this path, the Burgplatz of the Peilenstein castle ruins is on the left ).
description
The structurally very extensive castle complex comprised a total built area of 2,960 square meters. At the top of the rock formation converging to the west over the Ranna valley was the keep on the outermost rock slab , to which the main castle with the palace was connected, which was dominated by two towers. Before that was later improved to protect the system against the hillside to the east, which consists of an elongated building bailey built including gate input. A bridge led from there over a 25–30 m wide neck ditch .
In 1489, about 80 m away from the entrance, a compact, 17 m high defensive tower in a round shape was built. The purpose of this building was to secure the drinking water supply: the tower was built over a spring and on its deepest floor housed a well, from which an underground pipeline led into the castle. The interior of the five-story tower could be entered through a high entrance to the middle floor at a height of 4.5 m.
history
The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1140. The high clear noble family of Falk Steiner (1140 as Valchenstain called) has held the ownership of the plant at that time and led from the castle its name. The first to name himself after this castle was Adelram de Valchenstain . Kalhoch von Falkenstein , the founder of Schlägl Abbey (1218) , also comes from the ranks of the Falkenstein family . The place name Kollerschlag (= Kalhochschlag) reminds of the clearing activity of this Falkensteiner .
With the marriage of Falkenstein's last heir to Budiwoy von Skalitz , the Falkenstein rule passed to the Rosenbergs , a branch of the Witigonen family . The son of the two was Zawisch von Falkenstein († 1290), who named himself after the Falkensteiner inheritance , who rose to the leading figure in Bohemia after an uprising against the Bohemian King Ottokar II Přemysl after 1277 . Zawisch was captured in January 1289 and his possessions were declared forfeit by King Wenzel II. Duke Albrecht I of Habsburg took this as an opportunity to besiege Falkenstein Castle and to persuade the occupiers to surrender by starving them. The Duke rule Falkenstein was a Ministerialadelsgeschlecht the fief , which henceforth also to be of Falkenstein described.
In 1331 Duke Albrecht II pledged the castle to the Walseers . The Rosenbergs, who continued to claim the Falkensteiner inheritance, went to the field against the Walseer and in a surprise operation succeeded in 1355 taking Leutwin Ursel von Rovenich Falkenstein. Only when a large ransom was paid did the castle return to the ownership of the Habsburgs, who in turn gave the pledges to noble families who changed hands several times over the course of history. The Walseer held the lien over the rule until 1440, then the Oberhaimer until 1490, then the Prüschenk until 1515, then the Willinger until 1527, then Jörg von Herberstein . In 1572 a fire caused devastating damage to the castle, which has now been converted into a palace. In 1591 Heinrich Salburg redeemed the Falkenstein rule and in 1605 the rule became the property of the Salburg family . He merged Falkenburg with the owners of Altenhof and Hochhaus to form an administrative unit, whose headquarters were moved to Altenhof. Falkenstein Castle was left to decay. Until 1887 the complex was still inhabited by hunting personnel at times. In 1860 the hall and the keep collapsed, and in 1911 the last buildings were covered by a strong storm. At least the water tower was saved from decay through an initiative in the 20th century. Efforts are currently underway to save the ruin from further deterioration and to make it accessible again for visitors.
The castle ruins are still owned by Count Salburg on Altenhof .
- Falkenstein castle ruins on the Ranna
Falkenstein castle ruins: so-called water tower
Falkenstein castle ruins: entrance portal of the water tower
Falkenstein castle ruins: Söller
Falkenstein castle ruins: entrance gate
Say Lilofee about the water mermaid
The legend of the mermaid Lilofee surrounds the Falkenstein water tower: Othmar der Oberhaimer is said to have fallen in love with a beautiful woman who was a mermaid on the way back from the Kaiserpfalz on the Rhine. She was ready to move with him to his castle, but only on the condition that she was allowed to spend every full moon night alone in the water tower. That went well for a long time, until Neider incited Othmar to see what his wife was doing in the tower. Intrigued, he crept to the tower and peered in through a crack in the door. He saw his wife sitting by the water, but instead of feet she had a fin. Then a thunder cracked and the mermaid Lilofee was gone forever and Othmar was left behind.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Falkenstein ruins - let's save what can still be saved. (No longer available online.) Marktgemeinde Hofkirchen, archived from the original on December 29, 2013 ; Retrieved December 23, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
- Herbert Erich Baumert, Georg Grüll: Castles and palaces in Upper Austria. Volume 1: Mühlviertel and Linz . Vienna 1988, pp. 18-21.
- Norbert Grabherr : Castles and palaces in Upper Austria. A guide for castle hikers and friends of home. 3. Edition. Oberösterreichischer Landesverlag, Linz 1976, ISBN 3-85214-157-5 .
- Friedl Härtl: The Seven Künischen Villages in the Wolfstein district. 1963.
- Oskar Hille: Castles and palaces in Upper Austria then and now . Verlag Ferdinand Berger & Sons, Horn 1975, ISBN 3-85028-023-3 .
