Castle in Wiener Neustadt

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Castle in Wiener Neustadt
Theresian Military Academy

Theresian Military Academy

Creation time : 1193/94
Castle type : Location
Conservation status: Preserved essential parts
Standing position : Dukes
Place: Wiener Neustadt
Geographical location 47 ° 48 '32 "  N , 16 ° 14' 41"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 48 '32 "  N , 16 ° 14' 41"  E
Castle in Wiener Neustadt (Lower Austria)
Castle in Wiener Neustadt

The castle in Wiener Neustadt is known today as the seat of the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt .

history

The first castle in Wiener Neustadt was built in 1193/94, at the same time as the city ​​wall of Wiener Neustadt was being built. They were paid from Richard the Lionheart's ransom demands . This castle is said to have stood on the northeast corner of the city, but there is no archaeological evidence for this.

However, when this became too small, the newer castle was built on its current location by Duke Leopold VI of Babenberg . , the glorious at the beginning of the 13th century. Since the area is quite swampy, it was built on wooden pilots . Under Duke Friedrich II the Arguable , it was finally surrounded by a moat, outer walls and corner towers.

In 1246 the Battle of the Leitha took place east of the castle , in which Frederick II was killed. A memorial on Pöttschinger Strasse still reminds of this. The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1260. However, the wall was torn down again in 1253 under Ottokar II and rebuilt towards the end of the 13th century.

The castle collapsed in an earthquake in 1348. This led to an enlarged new building under the Habsburg Duke Leopold III. which began in 1378. On the terrace, which was built above the crypt chapel by Leopold IV , Peter von Pusika built the Divine Corpus Christi chapel on behalf of Duke Ernst and later the St. George's Chapel in the newly created west wing on behalf of Emperor Friedrich III. In many places you can still find the inscription AEIOU , which refers to Friedrich III. going back.

When Friedrich III. refused to release Ladislaus Postumus from his guardianship, this led to a siege of the manor by the estates with an army of 16,000 men as a result of the Mailberger Bund . Friedrich released his ward only after negotiations and subsequently founded the Order of St. George , to which he made the castle available as a seat. However, the seat was repealed in 1598.

In 1486 there was another siege by Matthias Corvinus , which ended after two years with the defenders giving up. After the death of Corvinus, the occupying troops were driven out of the castle and town.

Emperor Maximilian's grave in the St. Georgs chapel of the castle in Wiener Neustadt

Under Emperor Maximilian I , the castle lost the status of a permanent residence and only a hermitage of the emperor was created. Emperor Maximilian is buried in the St. George's Chapel.

In 1521 Archduke Ferdinand, who later became Emperor Ferdinand I , withdrew to the castle because of the resistance of the Protestant class. As a result, however, the Viennese city government was arrested and executed here on the basis of the Wiener Neustädter Blood Court.

But other well-known personalities were also imprisoned in the castle tower, the Rákócziturm, which was adapted as a state prison, such as Franz Rákóczi or Count Peter Zrin .

During the first Turkish siege of Vienna in 1529, the castle was attacked but not taken. During the Second in 1683 she was not attacked. In the meantime, however, fires in 1608 and 1616 wreaked havoc.

In 1743 1400 French prisoners of war were housed in the castle. A little later, a plague-like epidemic broke out, claiming many victims. Because of the risk of infection, the castle remained closed for two years after the survivors had left. After that it was hardly used and was neglected.

The imperial castle before 1768 - drawing from Böheim's town chronicle from 1830
Model of the present state of the castle

In 1752 the Theresian Military Academy was established in the castle. Numerous modifications had to be carried out for this purpose. This was carried out by the Viennese master builder Matthias Gerl .

A severe earthquake in 1768 caused major damage again, making the building uninhabitable. Three of the four towers had to be removed. New imperial rooms were set up in the east wing. The main staircase was drawn in in place of the Corpus Christi chapel.

After the end of the First World War , the military academy was closed, but reopened in 1934.

Towards the end of the Second World War in 1945, the castle was almost completely destroyed by aerial bombs , fires and looting. The castle was set on fire and burned down completely in almost 14 days in April and May 1945. The remaining ruins were restored to their historical form during the reconstruction between 1946 and 1959. As far as this was possible, the historic foundation walls were left, but the room layout inside was adapted to meet the times. The military academy was able to resume operations in 1958.

The castle, which was always owned by the rulers, is now owned by the Republic of Austria.

investment

Coat of arms of St. George's Cathedral

St. George's Cathedral

St. George's Cathedral is a late Gothic three-aisled hall church . It was built by Peter von Pusica in the years 1440-1460. The original chapel was called Marien- or Frauenkapelle. Under Friedrich III. it was renamed St. George's Church as the seat of the Order of St. George. Emperor Maximilian I was buried under the steps of the high altar in 1519 .

Very little of her remained in the Second World War. Only one column remained original. However, this was rebuilt in 1945 from the white sandstone from Kaisersteinbruch .

In 1963 the Georgskirche became the seat of the military bishop and in 1987 under the military bishop Kostelecky it was elevated to a cathedral. Since 1990 the military bishop of Austria has held the diocese of Wiener Neustadt, which was dissolved in 1784, as the titular seat.

Academy park

Academy park

The originally swampy area between the city and the Leitha was made by Friedrich III. drained. An animal park was also set up, which existed until 1751. The 106 hectare area has been open to the public since Maria Theresa and was later converted into an English park.

Engagement stone in the academy park

At the intersection of the large Querallee with the Fohlenhofallee is the "Stone Obelisk zum Rosenhügel". In 1735 Maria Theresa and Franz Stephan of Lothringen are said to have got engaged here. The imperial visits to the academy between 1769 and 1899 are noted on the marble obelisk.

Engagement stone in the Academy Park Wr. Neustadt

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Virtual castle tour on the study portal of the Theresian Military Academy ( Memento from December 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

literature

  • Ferdinand Carl Boeheim . Wiener Neustadt Castle and its memorable sights. Noble von Ghelen'schen Erben, Vienna 1834.
  • Franz Weller: The imperial castles and palaces in words and pictures. Hof-Buchdruckerei, Vienna 1880. ( Online )

Web links

Commons : Theresianische Military Academy  - collection of images, videos and audio files