Freistadt Castle
The Schloss Freistadt in Upper Austria's Mühlviertel was from 1363 to 1398, including the keep built and strengthening served the fortifications of the city Freistadt . Today the castle houses the tax office and the Mühlviertel Castle Museum.
history
The castle was built to strengthen the fortifications from 1363. Duke Rudolf IV. The founder placed the order to build the castle. Until completion, all properties in the Freistadt district court were subject to a tax: Hof, Hube , Lehen and Hofstatt . After Rudolf's death (1365) his brothers Leopold and Albrecht continued the construction, and in 1397/98 the new castle including the keep was completed. Some repairs were made by 1440 and, at the end of the 15th century, the keep was probably also increased.
The castle replaced the old castle in Salzgasse, the "Altenhof" (today: Salzhof ). The new castle served the sovereign as the administrative building of the Freistadt rule with the official seat of Freistadt (including Leopoldschlag , Neumarkt , Schenkenfelden , Rainbach ) and as accommodation for the manors of the rule. The second official seat of the rule of Freistadt was Schloss Haus from the 18th century . With the expansion of the other fortifications at the same time, the castle increased the defensive power of the city. Still, the castle was the weakest link in the chain of defense lines.
There are two ways to get to the outer courtyard of the castle: through a gate on the main square and through another gate at the end of Schlossgasse from Böhmergasse . The castle was also secured against the city and possible attacks from this side by a moat and a drawbridge. Even the neighboring town houses were not allowed to have an exit to the outer courtyard.
During the Hussite Wars and the many border feuds of the 15th century, the castle proved itself as a strong bulwark on the side of the city. A lot was rebuilt in the 16th century; the plans for the new construction of the south wing (1588) came from the builders Antonio Cerisora, Ambrosio Solari and Mert Pogner. Around 1594 the castle served as a refuge for the surrounding population during the Turkish Wars. The castle was looted by besiegers only once, in 1626, when the rebellious farmers conquered the town and the castle. The manager at the time and three Capuchins present were locked in the castle chapel and mistreated. The liturgical implements were stolen, all boxes and chests broken into and looted.
In the course of time there were also differences between the city and the castle. A point of contention was a "back door" that led from the castle into the Zwinger and across the moat out of the city and which had already been planned for during construction. This allowed the castle residents to leave the city undetected, but the gate also posed a security risk, which is why the door was walled up in the 15th century. In 1584, Hans Christoph von Gera demanded that the door be opened, referring to the lack of an escape route during the two city fires of 1507 and 1516. Ultimately, the sovereign decided in favor of the city to leave the door walled up.
Change of ownership over time
When the Habsburgs needed money, the castle was pledged, so the residents and “owners” often changed. The castle was part of the sovereign rule of Freistadt and, like this, was granted as a pledge . Each new owner had their own ideas and wishes, and so the castle was constantly rebuilt and changed - admittedly only with the consent of the Habsburgs. Hardly anything has been preserved in writing from the changes in ownership before 1620. From 1290 to the 14th century, the Wallsee owners of the pledge, 1445 Reinprecht III. attested by Wallsee as a pledge holder. From 1493 to 1500 the Zelkinger were the pledge holders, before Laßla von Prague held the pledge until 1509 . From 1509 to 1620 the Landau owned the manor and the castle. Everything was the same, that they did not live in the castle and therefore hired carers to manage it, such as Bernhard Jörg zu Roith in 1519 or Hanns Christoph von Gera in 1604. In 1620, the Emperor Ferdinand sold the estate including the castle to Count Leonhard Helfried von Meggau , a Catholic comrade in the time of the Counter Reformation . After the Meggau died out (1646), the property returned to the emperor. Until 1700 the lien holder of the castle was Johann Ulrich von Slavata, a son of Wilhelm Slavata and Otilie von Neuhaus , who was married to Maria Franziska Theresia von Meggau (1609–1676). In 1700 the Emperor Leopold sold the rule to Count Ferdinand Bonaventura von Harrach as free property . His great-granddaughter Rosa married Prince Joseph Kinsky in 1777, and so the rule of Freistadt passed to the Kinsky family (princely line). In 1798 the city of Freistadt acquired the castle for 5000 guilders . Princess Rosa moved to the former Capuchin monastery outside the city, which was closed in 1785 and has now been converted into a princely castle . The official seat of the rule of Freistadt was also relocated to the new palace until the abolition of the manorial rule in 1848.
As carers who administered the estate for the owners and lived in the castle are known: Ulrich von Starhemberg was until 1455 , Count von Bierstein in 1463, Bernhard von Starhemberg in 1475 and Georg von Lobenstein in 1507.
Property of the municipality of Freistadt
After numerous renovations, the city used the castle as a march through barracks from 1801 (until 1924). Thanks to the new quarter for troops moving through, two houses in the city that had previously served this purpose could be sold to citizens again. An infirmary was also housed between 1829 and 1831. From 1834 to 1848 the building was empty and only a few people lived in the building. In order to maintain a permanent garrison , the city donated the entire castle to the imperial Arar in 1853 , and it has been state-owned since then. Between 1879 and 1937 a garrison was stationed in the "castle barracks". A fire broke out here on May 2, 1880, which severely damaged the entire castle and the northern part of the city, including the Böhmertor (38 buildings). Various offices have had their headquarters in the former castle since 1924; today it is the tax office.
After the fire of 1880, Emperor Franz Josef rejected the plan of some districts to remove the damaged castle tower and had the tower repaired.
Since 1918 the castle has belonged to the Republic of Austria as the successor to the monarchy.
Today's appearance
In front of the castle is the outer castle courtyard, which can be reached from the main square and from Böhmergasse via Schlossgasse. The former grain box and stables (today: youth center) near the keep is near the passage from the main square. Opposite are the former stables for the horses (today: confectionery). The northern end of the square is bounded by the city wall, there is a beautiful view of the Liebfrauenkirche . A few years ago, the youngest entrance to the city (sidewalk) was built between the keep and the youth center and from there you can get to the dark promenade (former moat). The outer courtyard also serves as a parking space for cars.
A gate leads to the inner courtyard. When the construction was used for the defense, there were two drawbridges - one for a door and one for the entrance gate - the roles of which can still be seen. The former castle chapel is located above the gateway. In the inner courtyard there are two staircases and a covered walkway on the upper floor (" Gaden ") through which you can reach the tax office and the castle museum . Concerts and theater performances were often held in the summer months before the Salzhof cultural center was inaugurated in 2003. The annual Freetown Christmas market takes place in the outer and inner courtyard (mostly on the 1st weekend in December).
The most imposing part of the castle is the castle tower - the keep, which is unique of its kind in Austria. The 50 meter high tower is largely windowless and has a corridor on corbels at a height of 40 meters. A very steep wedge roof with four roof cores on corbels forms the end of the tower. The Gothic keep is a landmark of the city and can be seen on many pictures.
Castle chapel
The palace chapel was consecrated to the Most Holy Trinity in 1497 . The chapel is located above the passage from the outer to the inner courtyard and can only be entered from the inner courtyard via several steps. From the outside, the chapel is a square building with two high, pointed arches and one round tracery window. Inside the Gothic chapel, the ribbed vault is well preserved, and the three-sided choir is usually closed. An altar is no longer preserved. Of the usual ecclesiastical furnishings, only the sacraments niche made of stone on the right side of the choir closure and a basin (baptismal font?) On the left side have been preserved.
The chapel was spared the fire on May 2, 1880, which broke out in the castle. During the time when the castle was a barracks, the chapel was used as an assembly magazine and had a wooden floor. Today the former chapel is part of the castle museum and houses a remarkable collection of reverse glass paintings .
Storage
The listed former warehouse is located southwest of the castle in the outer courtyard. The three-storey cube was built around 1552 under Georg von Landau. The window vaults come from the time of construction (window walls). On the eastern front there is a staircase as an alleged battlement of the former battlement of the city wall. Inside there is a round arched cellar gate and a rectangular portal with an upside-down lintel, marked with the year "1583". The cellar has a barrel vault . In 1982/83 a renovation took place, the building is used as a youth center and youth hostel .
literature
- Federal Monuments Office Austria (Ed.): Dehio - Upper Austria Mühlviertel. Berger Verlag, Horn / Vienna 2003, ISBN 978-3-85028-362-5 , page 150ff.
- Oskar Hille: Castles and palaces of Upper Austria. Wilhelm Ennsthaler, 2nd edition, Steyr 1992, ISBN 3-85068-323-0 .
- Joseph Jaeckel, Friedrich Kaschko: Ecclesiastical chronicle of the city parish church Freystadt. 1884, page 103.
- Othmar Rappersberger: Freistadt - jewelry box of the Mühlviertel. Kunstverlag Hofstetter, Ried iI 1992.
- Rudolf Scharitzer: The princely castle in Freistadt. In: Heimatgaue. Year 11, Linz 1930, pp. 64–76, online (PDF) in the forum OoeGeschichte.at.
Web links
- Entry via Freistadt Castle to Burgen-Austria
Coordinates: 48 ° 30 ′ 45 " N , 14 ° 30 ′ 23" E