Strechau Castle
| Strechau Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Alternative name (s): | Strechau Castle | |
| Creation time : | 11th century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Preserved or major parts renovated | |
| Place: | Lassing / Strechau | |
| Geographical location | 47 ° 31 '41.8 " N , 14 ° 19' 2.1" E | |
|
||
The Strechau Castle , also called Castle Strechau, is a hilltop castle in the local area of the municipality Lassing in the district of castle keep and the second largest castle of Styria . Although the castle is located in the municipality of Lassing , it bears the same name as the Rottenmann district of Strechau , although it is unknown whether the castle was named after the place or vice versa.
Early history
Around the second half of the 11th century, the first weir was built on Strechau Castle Hill. It was probably just a tower.
From around 1120 onwards, members of a gender called “von Strechau”, also “von Winklern” or “von Ennstal” sat as burgraves on Strechau. At the beginning of the 13th century, the brothers Rudolf and Konrad von Trenstein (also "von Kindberg") followed as owners.
At that time the castle belonged to the Archbishop of Salzburg , the Trensteins administered it as a fief in his name. At that time, two castles were also mentioned on the mountain, an upper and a lower castle.
In 1282 Strechau fell to Duke Albrecht I. It was administered by the sovereign and the Abbot of Admont . Until the 15th century, the owners of the rule changed frequently .
Reformation period and sale to Admont Abbey
After further changes of ownership, the von Mosheim family sold the castle to Hanns Hofmann von Grünbühel in 1528 . The Hofmanns lent Emperor Ferdinand I money to defend against Hungary and gave their silver dishes to mint new coins. In return, the Emperor Hofmann pledged the toll to Rottenmann and sold him the Strechau castle and estate as “right, pure and undamaged property”.
The Hofmanns appointed preachers from Nuremberg in the parishes they administered in Lassing, Liezen and Oppenberg in order to spread the Protestant faith in this area. During this time, the castle was also rebuilt, a renaissance-like arcade courtyard was built and the famous Mannerist ceiling paintings were painted in the "Evangelical Chapel".
In the course of the Counter Reformation , the last owner of the Hofmann castle, Anna Potentiana Jörger, had to sell the castle and leave the country. The Admont took under Abbot Urban Weber (Latinized "Textor") castle. While the castle belonged to the monastery (1629-1892), the large granary, stables and administration building were built. The large ballroom with baroque ceiling painting and stucco was built around 1600 . The baroque "Catholic Chapel" was built around 1650.
From the 19th century until today
The Admont administrator, Anton Stary, a friend of Archduke Johann , adapted some rooms for personal and representative purposes of the Archduke after being occupied twice by French troops. At that time, a very beautiful castle garden was described that extended to the castle's Meierhof . Archduke Johann met his future wife Anna Plochl several times at the castle and wanted to celebrate his wedding there. However, this intention failed because of his brother's no, Emperor Franz I.
After 1848 the administration was terminated due to the abolition of the manor and the castle was left to decay for almost 50 years.
In 1892 it was bought by the Viennese industrialist Julius Hofmeier (born May 31, 1857 in Prague , † October 30, 1934 in Graz ), refurbished and established a farm by purchasing adjacent farms with a farm at the Nichtlgut .
Due to personal blows of fate Hofmeier was forced to sell the castle on. In 1909 Adolf Boesch bought the castle and the estate, which for him was a good addition to his Süßenbrunn estate near Vienna.
During the inflationary period, his son Adolf Egon Boesch lost his property and the Theresian Academy Foundation in Vienna took it over. However, the castle remained unused until 1938, when it was extensively converted to accommodate a NAPOLA school (1938–1945) and then a children's rest home. Until 1945 the castle was owned by the Reich and was used as a rest home.
In 1979 the Theresian Academy planned to sell the rundown and almost completely empty castle. First there were plans from an American hotel company, and finally the grandson of the former owner Harald Boesch bought the castle. Since then, it has been renovated in an exemplary manner and is now owned by the Boesch Private Foundation. A classic car exhibition has been on view since May 2006. The castle complex has been a listed building since 1978.
Building
The castle complex is accessed through the gate in the former bastion . There is a weir keep above the gate . Cannons once stood behind the three oval wall openings of the bastion. There are three weather vanes on the shingle roof . One depicts a witch riding on a broomstick .
Along the long courtyard that follows are former stables, farm buildings, a powder magazine and the nursing home.
The inner courtyard impresses with the three-storey renaissance arcades on the east and west sides.
A witch as a weather vane on the bastion
The castle courtyard with farm buildings and nursing home on the right in the picture
In the castle are sights
- the imperial room
- the former Protestant prayer room with ceiling paintings from 1579, whose theological program comes from David Chyträus , and
- the ballroom on the second floor of the east wing. Its ceiling is decorated with stucco and oil painting (1652) depicting scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses . A baroque oil painting shows the New Testament parable of the wedding supper: many are called, but few are chosen ( Matthew 22, 1–14).
The imperial room
Baroque door from 1637 in the imperial room
Central partial view of the ceiling of the prayer room
Glance into the ballroom
Ceiling painting in the ballroom
Baroque representation of the New Testament parable of the wedding supper
The castle chapel
The small Marienkapelle located in the south wing and accessible from there has a four-bay groined vault. It is furnished in a baroque style. The altar is attributed to the Admont monastery sculptor Georg Remele and was erected in 1637. In the shrine he has a central figure of a Madonna and Child. Assistant figures on the left are St. Barbara , on the right St. Catherine . Archangel Michael stands in the blasted gable .
Strechau Castle in art
Matthäus Loder : Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl - walk near Strechau Castle
The "damsel of Strechau" (17th century, Admont Abbey Collection )
literature
- Kleine Zeitung , Beate Pichler: Beauty writes history , from July 13, 2014, part 9 of the series AufgeSCHLOSSen , pages 34 and 35.
- Hannes P. Naschenweng: Strechau Castle. With articles by Friedmund Hueber, Heinz Leitner and others = Journal of the Historical Association for Styria, Sonderbd. 24, Liezen 1997.
- Benedikt Schneider: In: Lassing community (ed.): 950 years of Lassing. Lassing 1986.
- Franz Wohlgemuth: History of the parish Gaishorn and the Paltental. Gaishorn 1955.
Web links
- burg-strechau.at
- Entry via Strechau to Burgen-Austria
- Entry on Strechau Castle in the Austria Forum (in the Heimatlexikon)
- Strechau Castle in postcards