Königstein ruins (Upper Austria)

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Koenigstein ruins
Remains of the keep of the Königstein castle ruins

Remains of the keep of the Königstein castle ruins

Alternative name (s): Ecker G'schlössl
Creation time : 1410
Castle type : Höhenburg, spur location
Conservation status: ruin
Standing position : Duke Johann of Holland-Straubing
Place: Freinberg
Geographical location 48 ° 33 '34 "  N , 13 ° 32' 29"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 33 '34 "  N , 13 ° 32' 29"  E
Königstein ruins (Upper Austria)
Koenigstein ruins

The Königstein ruins , also popularly known as Ecker G'schlössl , are the ruins of a spur castle on a slope high above the valley of the Kösslbach , the Kößlgraben , in the municipality of Freinberg in Upper Austria , about five kilometers from the city of Passau .

  • Sketch of the location of the Königstein castle ruins from 1885

  • Königstein castle ruins - remains of the tower today

  • Königstein castle ruins - Halsgraben

history

Königstein Castle is one of the few defensive structures for which both the date of construction start and the time of destruction are known. Its short story begins on Epiphany in 1410, from which, according to legend, the name Königstein is derived. Duke Johann von Holland-Straubing had the castle built in the immediate vicinity of the city of Passau in order to better control the trade routes into the city, possibly also to protect against the Hussites . As early as 1411 there were quarrels between the Bishop of Passau and the Duke, but these were settled by an armistice agreement on July 20, 1411 in Neuburg. After the death of Duke Johann Lower Bavaria was divided and Ludwig the Bearded received that part of the Innviertel that bordered the Diocese of Passau. Under the new owner, the fighting flared up again and Königstein Castle became the starting point for raids on Passau's territory. Bishop Leonhard von Passau obtained permission from Emperor Sigismund to break the castle. After an initially unsuccessful siege of Schärding , Königstein was captured by an army from Passau on July 27, 1436 after seven days of siege, destroyed and - as stated in the Regensburg Peace Treaty of July 29, 1436 - not rebuilt.

description

Only a few remains of the wall remain from the ruins. The stump of the round keep (it was exposed in the 1970s) and a basement room filled almost to the ceiling with rubble are still clearly visible. The core of the keep consists of granite blocks , which are encased on the outside by tuff blocks . These had to have been transported from far away, as there are no tuff deposits in the Sauwald . The wall thickness reaches two meters, so that the former height of the tower, which has a diameter of nine meters, can be estimated at 15 meters. Furthermore, the neck ditch and a double wall-ditch system around the castle can be seen in the area. In the meantime, the Burgplatz has become so overgrown again that there are hardly any remains of the former castle to be seen.

The ruins were uncovered on the initiative of Passau's Heimatfreunde and are now generally accessible. Since the route is not signposted, it is very difficult to find it. When you have covered about two kilometers on the road from Freinberg to Hareth , after a small hamlet you can see a forest road turning down to the left. You have to follow this for about 1.5 kilometers and then a poorly visible forest path branches off to the northeast. If you follow this, you will reach the ruins after about 500 meters.

See also

literature

  • Johann Evangelist Lamprecht : Archaeological Forays . Manuscript in the Landesmuseum, Linz (approx. 1880).
  • 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 , p. 292-293 .
  • Herbert Erich Baumert, Georg Grüll: Castles and palaces in Upper Austria . Volume 2: Innviertel and Alpine Foreland . 2nd, expanded edition. Birken-Verlag, Vienna 1985, ISBN 3-85030-049-3 , pp. 58-59.
  • Museum Innviertler Volkskundehaus Ried im Innkreis (ed.): The Bundschuh . tape 1 . Verlag Moserbauer, Ried im Innkreis 1998, ISBN 3-900847-54-1 .

Web links

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