Aurolzmünster Castle

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Aurolzmünster Castle

Aurolzmünster Castle is a moated castle that is located in the center of the market town of Aurolzmünster and is also known as the " Innviertel Versailles ".

history

Aurolzmünster Castle after a copper engraving by Michael Wening from (1721)

Originally there were two noble residences in Aurolzmünster . One was owned by the Counts of Halls and the other owned by the Murhaimer. In 1312 Albert the Tannberger bought the seat of the Counts of Halls and in 1375 Johannes the Tannberger acquired from Ulreich the Murhaimer whose sicz to Awrolez Münster with hofstat, zimern and paw , with which both possessions were united. In 1394 Johann von Tannberg obtained the elevation of Aurolzmünster to Hofmark from Duke Heinrich von Niederbayern . Until 1682 the Tannbergers remained in possession of the castle, which also included the neighboring Forchtenau castle . Due to the effects of the Thirty Years War , the Barons von Tannberg suffered great financial losses, and the upper castle burned down to ruin. Therefore, on September 3, 1682, the Tannbergsche Fideikommiss was lifted by Elector Max Emanuel of Bavaria and the property was transferred to Ferdinand Franz Albrecht Graf by election.

The ruins and the lower palace building were demolished, and under Count Ferdinand Franz Albrecht von der Wahl the palace was rebuilt from 1691 to 1711. It was designed by the architect Johann Kaspar Zucalli and completed by Antonio Riva . The paintings in the large central hall are by Johann Eustachius Kendlbacher. Count Ferdinand von der Wahl did not see the completion of his magnificent building. He died in 1702, his son Ferdinand Franz Xaver von Wahl followed as builder. After the imperial counts died out from the election in 1797, the property came to the counts of Arco-Valley of St. Martin . When the palace was sold in 1926, they moved the entire furnishings to their ancestral palace in Sankt Martin , and some of the columns and balconies built into the palace were also taken away. In 1925 it was bought by the retired postmaster Carl Schappeller , who had caused a worldwide sensation with his excavations for Attila's grave and the treasure of the Huns . Due to the constant change of ownership, the castle gradually fell into disrepair.

description

Front view

The moated castle is still surrounded on all sides by moats. Central is the two-story central building, which houses a ballroom that extends to the top floor. This is placed on the central risalit and equipped with a ceiling painting and garden landscapes on the side walls. This main building is connected to two two-story pavilions by low wings surrounding the courtyard. In the past, the south side of the courtyard was closed off by an iron grille that is no longer there today.

In the past, the castle was surrounded by a magnificent park that was built on the site of the upper castle. This baroque garden was a masterpiece of garden architecture with many water features, fountains, water cascades, an amphitheater and a shooting range. The garden had to give way to a hop field as early as the 19th century, other traffic structures (railway line), leisure facilities (soccer field, outdoor swimming pool, tennis facility) and other buildings (elementary school, butcher's shop) led to the park being dismantled and the brewery and Maierhof attached to the castle were demolished.

In 1962, Aurolzmünster Castle was auctioned and sold to a Bavarian investor group. Under the direction of Georg Spiegelfeld-Schneeburg and with the support of the Province of Upper Austria, the Republic of Austria and the Messerschmitt Foundation in Munich, renovation work was started to secure the exterior (dormers) and restore the interior (stucco ceilings, frescoes). The brick wall that closes the ensemble to the castle moat is still waiting for appropriate repair work. The castle has found its way back to its former glory since 1997. But it seems to be the case that a final revitalization is still a long way off, for which a business center Schloss Aurolzmünster is currently committed. So far, the Aurolzmünster municipal office has moved into a side wing, a rehearsal room for the music school has been implemented, a doctor's practice has been set up and other companies are also located in the castle. The renovated property is being offered for sale by the investors.

  • Left side wing (Marstall)

  • Right side wing

  • Central Risalit

  • Outside wall behind the music school

Web links

Commons : Schloss Aurolzmünster  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Aurolzmünster municipal office

Coordinates: 48 ° 14 ′ 58 ″  N , 13 ° 27 ′ 20 ″  E