Lichtenfels Castle (Ottenstein)

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Lichtenfels Castle
Lichtenfels castle ruins.jpg
Creation time : 1150
Castle type : Hilltop castle
Conservation status: Ruin, chapel in the castle keep preserved raw
Standing position : Ministeriale
Place: Peygarten-Ottenstein ( Zwettl-Friedersbach )
Geographical location 48 ° 35 '25.5 "  N , 15 ° 19' 23.4"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 35 '25.5 "  N , 15 ° 19' 23.4"  E
Lichtenfels Castle (Lower Austria)
Lichtenfels Castle

The Burg Lichtenfels is the ruins of a hilltop castle in Peygarten Ottenstein in the Waldviertel , Lower Austria , the city of Zwettl Austria belonging.

location

Originally built on a wooded rock head of a mountain slope, it is now located on a peninsula of the Ottenstein reservoir in the Waldviertel . It belongs to the village of Friedersbach .

history

Lichtenfels Castle was one of the smaller holdings that bordered on the holdings of the Kuenringer and came from the possession of the German kings. In the 12th century they had given the area to small noble houses in order to make the area of ​​the Kamp arable. Originally, these did not belong to the Duchy of Austria, but were only added in 1156.

Hartung von Rauheneck and his sons Albero, Otto and Ortlof in 1136 are documented in this area . He received this area from Duke Heinrich Jasomirgott as a fief and built the castle in the middle of the 12th century. The Rauhenecks, whose nickname "the Tursen" (= giants) was and which were widely ramified in Lower Austria, had the fiefdom until 1335, before it fell back to the duke.

The most famous of the Rauhenecks was Hugo der Turs von Rauheneck . This appeared in the first Austrian document, which was written in German, from 1248.

Subsequent feudal owners were the lords von Kapell , Georg von Dachsberg and Jörg von Rappach until 1437. During this time the castle served as a hiding place for valuables and the library of the Zwettl monastery from the pillaging Hussites during the fighting of 1427/28.

The feudal lords changed frequently over the next two centuries. It was not until 1623 that Hans Unterholzer von Kranichberg bought the Lichtenfels castle and rule from the emperor as free property. In 1628 he united them with his rule Rastenberg. In 1774 everything was taken over by the family of Baron von Bartenstein . From then on the castle fell into disrepair. As a result of the roof tax , Zwettl Abbey bought part of the roof in 1790. After the last resident moved out in 1804, the castle fell into disrepair.

The former rule of Lichtenfels has been in the possession of the Thurn-Valsassina family since 1872 .

investment

Only the castle chapel , which is dedicated to Saint Paul , has been preserved and was a popular pilgrimage destination until the last century.

literature

  • Walter Pongratz, Gerhard Seebach: Castles and palaces, Litschau-Zwettl-Ottenschlag-Weitra . Birkenverlag. Vienna 1971

See also

Web links

Commons : Lichtenfels ruins  - collection of images, videos and audio files