Ebelsberg Castle
The Ebelsberg Castle is a former military area in the district Ebelsberg the Upper Austrian capital Linz . Mentioned for the first time in 1154, the castle was the scene of armed conflicts for centuries, of which the battle of Ebelsberg in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best known.
The almost 900 year old castle was owned by the Passau bishops for the first 600 years . After the fire that started in the battle of 1809, it was in ruins for some time and was for sale. It was not until 1825 that a new owner was found in Baron Karl Theodor von Kast. His family owned the castle until 1974.
It is currently owned by the Kast'sche Gutsverwaltung and houses a military history exhibition. In addition, the castle is used for larger events such as the Kulturverein Schloss Ebelsberg such as Christmas markets or concerts.
Ebelsberg Castle encloses an inner courtyard in an almost trapezoidal shape with two floors, three towers and two gates. The Linzer Tor leads to the market square, and the Ennsertor is adjoined by a chestnut avenue through the 19th century castle park.
history
Beginnings
There is no exact date about the origins of Ebelsberg Castle. In the middle of the twelfth century, both Bavaria and the Diocese of Passau sought to expand their influence in Upper Austria under Bishop Konrad , the brother of Heinrich II . Due to its location at the junction of the two rivers Danube and Traun , the nearby hill was suitable for a wide view of the flat land in order to build a defense system there. In 1154 Bishop Konrad named this area Ebelesberc . This marked the beginning of the rule of the Passau bishops, which lasted 600 years with a few interruptions.
Expansion of the Passau influence
In the later decades Ebelsberg proved to be particularly important for the Passau bishops , who liked to stay in Austria . In a politically very troubled time, in which Bavaria in particular tried to expand its influence in what is now Upper Austria, the Passau property was of growing importance due to its location. Later the place was the subject of a power dispute between the bishops, the Otakars , the Babenbergers and the Bavarian Wittelsbachers.
The Passau bishops used the castle as a winter or summer residence and secured the entire place against attacks. First arguments between Duke Leopold VI. of Austria and Bishop Manegold of Passau, presumably because of the toll law on the Traun Bridge in the Ebelsberg area, had no tragic consequences for the castle. It was not until the years 1242–1244 that the complex was devastated during battles between Duke Friedrich II and Bishop Rüdiger .
In 1248 it was restored at great expense. Shortly afterwards, around 1250, Bishop Rüdiger died. The choice of a successor fell again on a clergyman who had spent his childhood there and knew the area well, Otto von Lonsdorf . His father had been the owner of a similarly large castle for some time and was highly regarded by the bishopric. Bishop Otto von Lonsdorf was described as a very determined and determined person. The higher authorities hoped to be able to secure the ecclesiastical acquis with his election. He was expected to reorganize the broken rule, especially in economic matters.
After taking up his duties in 1254, Ebelsberg was chosen as the location for the administration. In 1255 Otto transferred all defensive measures to Konrad von Hartheim and the following year to Ulrich von Hartheim. The tower was manned by a group of trained guards under the command of Herbord von Reut. In Passau castles, it was customary for a special team to guard the fortified tower.
Since the Passau residents were struggling with financial problems, Otto von Lonsdorf leased the Ebelsberg office in 1256 for 60 pounds Vienna pfennigs a year. The toll bridge yielded 70 pounds Vienna pfennigs over a period of four years, with the bishop having a ten-pound deductible. There was further lease income for the court in St. Pölten with 80 pounds and the court in Eferding with 30 pounds. A pound of Viennese pfennigs consisted of 20,160 pfennigs and a fattening sow was worth around 40 pfennigs at the time. The leases thus represented a large source of income for Passau. Otto von Lonsdorf operated very successfully and with the financial means from the leases, the restoration of the castle could be carried out and the guard maintained.
After the severe damage in 1242–1244, the castle was rebuilt in 1256. The construction work caused high debts, which the bishop could not repay the financier Ortolf von Volkenstorfer . Therefore, he seized the castle and the bishop was forced to pay off the debt in installments until Ortolf von Volkenstorfer made the mistake of killing Witiko von Prčice and Blankenberg , a high official of Ottokar II Přemysl . The reason for this was that the new administrative district of the state ob der Enns (forerunner of today's Upper Austria) was subordinated to the crown. There was a general lack of understanding that it was not the prosperous Ebelsberg, but the small neighboring municipality of Linz, a sovereign property that was granted administrative sovereignty. Ortolf von Volkerstorfer did not agree with the king's decision. In fact, he had made the king his enemy and reduced his position of power. This gave Otto von Lonsdorf the opportunity to bring the castle back into his own possession, the regulation was completed in 1260.
In the late 14th century the castle was mortgaged again. An ambiguous election of bishops between Rupert von Berg and Georg von Hohenlohe sparked major disputes and even resulted in war. Because of the unclear ownership situation, Ebelsberg was handed over to Hans von Liechtenstein. A little later, Bishop Georg von Hohenlohe managed to take over the castle again in 1398. He liked to stay there and the castle became a much-visited place for the prominent people of the time, including Cologne and Weinsberg bishops, even Emperor Sigismund visited Ebelsberg in 1419 and 1422.
During a visit by Emperor Friedrich III. his secretary Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini wrote the oldest description of the castle in Latin in a letter to a friend. The letter, full of exuberant praise for the bishop, was received with a request for proofreading. This later paid off for Piccolomini by becoming a pastor in Aspach in the Innviertel. At the height of his career, Piccolomini later became Pope as Pius II.
The letter described the exact location of the castle and its architecture for the first time. Piccolomini was fascinated by the surrounding landscape and also described the course of the Traun and its abundance of fish. A section from the letter gives precise information about the structure at that time.
“(The castle stands) ... three sides high above the plain, and therefore fortified by nature; on the fourth side it has a double moat and bridge, the moats are of considerable depth. On this side there is also a tower rising into the sky; it is protected all around by fortresses, at its height there is a guard who constantly calls with horn and trumpet and sometimes plays rural bits. The castle wall is double throughout and triple in many places. In the middle is a round square, and here a wonderful fountain flows and lets the water run out of six iron pipes twice. The edge of the fountain is marble and, supported by columns, rises above it an iron tent roof, a wonderful work that one would like to attribute to the Elcanor or Polyklet. "
At the time of Piccolomini, the castle was in very good condition. There is no precise information about the first years of the 16th century. An inscription next to the castle gate on the market side suggests that it was rebuilt between 1542 and 1546. Casper Bruschius, known as a “wandering humanist”, mentioned in his work De Laureaco in 1553 the construction work of Bishop Wolfgang Graf Salm. In 1586 the castle with the market and the Traun Bridge were again destroyed, this time by fire. It was repaired in three years under Bishop Urban von Trennbach.
During the Upper Austrian Peasants' War in 1626, the farmers had a camp near Ebelsberg. It is not known whether Stefan Fadinger's headquarters were in the castle or whether he died there after he was brought to Ebelsberg. On July 25, 1626, the imperial family under Hans Christoph von Löbel attacked the farmers' camp and occupied Ebelsberg. According to the caretaker Hans Christoph von Thürheim , looted grain boxes and empty wine cellars were found in the castle.
End of the Passau rule
After several centuries under Passau rule, the castle had developed into a cultural center in the second half of the 18th century. Even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived there in 1783 with an opera performance. In the same year Cardinal Firmian, Bishop of Passau, died . He did not live to see that Emperor Joseph II had all possessions of the Passau Monastery in Upper Austria confiscated by Governor Count Thürheim. The confiscation was reversed in a settlement in 1784, but Passau had to renounce all diocesan claims. In return, the dioceses of Linz and St. Pölten were founded, in which Bishop Josef Count Auersperg also had to contribute financially. The importance of Ebelsberg Castle suddenly decreased. The secularization through the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803 finally meant the final end of the Passau rule of Ebelsberg.
The battle of Ebelsberg in 1809
At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte was at the zenith of his power. With the decline of the Second Coalition shortly after the turn of the century and the founding of the Rhine Confederation in 1806 , resistance to French supremacy in Central Europe crumbled - much to Austria's concern. Nine years earlier, Napoleon, spurred on by successes in northern Italy, had marched into the core areas of Austria for the first time - with a front line until shortly before the Semmering - and the peace of Campo Formio and the end of the First Coalition War had come. The Austrian side therefore followed the expansion of French influence in the German territories with suspicion, with the awareness that they were the last entity within Central Europe that France still had to oppose. This, together with the ceding of territories in eastern Austria agreed in the peace treaty, resulted in a collective rejection of French interests and led to a strong national sentiment, which was further strengthened by the proclamation of the Austrian Empire.
After a few setbacks in Landshut, Bavaria, and especially in Regensburg , the Austrians found themselves in a defensive battle. Napoleon had pushed his opponent back to Upper Austria by the beginning of May when Lieutenant Field Marshal Hiller arrived in Linz on May 2nd and united with the other troops. As in 1805, the defensive position was Ebelsberg, as it offered some tactical advantages in the very flat Linz area. Against the enemy advancing from the north, the Traun, with its sometimes very steep embankments, represented a major obstacle to a swift attack. After flowing into the Danube north of Ebelsberg, the latter mainly covered the flank as a broad, bridgeless river flowing to the southeast. For a defensive position, the castle hill and the massive walls of the castle offered protection from enemy fire from high-speed fire . The Gloriettehügel adjacent to the castle afforded a good view and the opportunity to fire the area around the Traun Bridge with your own artillery.
On the night of May 3, the Austrian troops were relocated from Linz to the Ebelsberg area from two o'clock in the morning, a seemingly endless convoy of soldiers, horses, wagons and artillery. As expected, the Traun Bridge was a bottleneck. While the translation was still going on, the first skirmishes broke out with Hart and Scharlinz. A delay in the parts of the Fifth Army Corps under Field Marshal Lieutenant Schustekh ruined the plan to destroy the Traun Bridge behind the Austrians by means of a prepared demolition. A wild battle already started on the bridge. The artillery fired into the fighting French and Austrians on both sides. The French managed to overcome the bridge with heavy losses. On the southern bank of the Traun, the attackers looked at an empty marketplace and tried to secure the bridgehead that had been created. The advancing parts began to be fired from all the windows of the castle, supported by the soldiers entrenched in the market houses and artillery fire on the bridge.
Some time passed while the French were busy with the marketplace and still didn't attach much importance to the castle. The troops posted there were able to fire almost unhindered into the advancing enemy lines. Only when the parts used in the castle put two hastily brought French artillery pieces out of action with targeted shots, the situation was recognized and the attempt was made to storm the castle hill for the first time. Several unsuccessful attempts to get the castle into French hands followed; the Austrians defended it vehemently, not least because it blocked the path to the cannons behind it down the Traun, which could now fire at the advancing French in full strength.
Only towards the afternoon - meanwhile a large part of the Ebelsberg market square was in flames - Colonel Pouget made a serious attempt at least as a battalion to capture the castle. The Austrians firing from the loopholes of the castle inflicted heavy losses on the front three companies. Pouget had his best riflemen come to him to hold down the immobile Austrians with aimed shots, while pioneers in this protection began to work the castle gates.
With the destruction of the castle gates, French troops entered the castle through cellar windows, which resulted in a horrible bayonet fight in the buildings. In the face of the incessantly following French units, the remaining Austrians surrendered. The castle and a little later the entire Ebelsberg market fell into Napoleon's hands. He spent the night there, contrary to some sources, not in a house, but in the imperial tent, in order to pursue the advancing Austrian troops in the direction of Enns the next day.
Acquired by the Kast family in 1825
When the castle was offered for sale in 1824, no one was interested in the ruins of that time , which had been left in their pitiful condition since the battle of 1809. It was not until 1825 that a buyer was found in Baron Karl Theodor von Kast. The diplomat immediately began to renovate the castle and its facilities. After all the rubble from the destroyed upper floors had been deposited in the courtyard and its level had risen by around two meters, the original main entrance on the market side had to be closed and moved towards the palace gardens. At the same time, the park was redesigned based on the English model.
Ebelsberg slowly began to recover from the war damage and achieved a level of prosperity that was respected for the time. In 1848 Kast abolished the rural subordination. This led to a certain decline in rule. But in the following years Kast was able to expand the Ebelsberg and Sierning rule to a significant property again by purchasing land and farms . Karl Theodor Freiherr von Kast died in 1875 at the age of 80 and left the complex to his son Llewellyn Baron Kast.
After his death in 1885, his widow Sophie Baroness Kast took over the property. Son Michael Baron Kast, lord of the castle from 1903, was mainly active in politics. After holding the post of governor of Upper Austria from 1897, Kast was appointed kk agriculture minister in March 1898 . But already in October the entire government resigned and so he resigned from this function. Kast was made an honorary citizen of Ebelsberg in the same year. The series of owners was continued with Johann Baron Kast (brother of Michael; 1932–1955) and his daughters Baroness Anna Kast and Baroness Sophie Morsey (1955–1974). Many Ebelsbergers can still see the image of the two baronesses who climbed the patronage gallery in the parish church in rubber boots on Sundays. The building was completely renovated for the last time in 1978. Ebelsberg Castle still belongs to the descendants of the Kast family.
Damage from hurricane Kyrill
In 2007, hurricane Kyrill left its mark on Ebelsberg Castle and severely damaged the roof of the 600-year-old building. Since the avenue with the chestnut trees was particularly dangerous, the residents of the castle parked their cars in the courtyard. A loud noise was heard during the night and it was suspected that some of the trees were damaged. Shortly afterwards it turned out that the roof of the castle with the entire framework had fallen into the courtyard. Some time later, the rest of the roof in the west wing collapsed. The north tower was also damaged. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard and the wooden bay window remained undamaged. The roofs on the north and west sides had only been renovated in 2005. In 2007 it was the turn of the roofs on the south and east sides as well as the gatehouse.
Structural development of the castle
The building history of the castle is divided into six construction phases:
Construction phase I: gate tower
The stump of the former gate tower comes from the oldest construction phase of the castle , which, according to archaeological research, was the first structure on the grown loess soil of the castle hill. The tower was first mentioned in 1255. In 1444, Piccolomini wrote a letter describing the upper floors that already existed at that time with a circular battlement. There was a spying position at the top. The upper floors of the tower were rebuilt in the 15th century in order to create more homely, brighter rooms. According to the descriptions of the land register, the tower was six storeys high. Excavations suggest that the southeastern gate tower of the castle was built around the twelfth century. It is believed that the building was protected by a double moat in the southeast and surrounded by a multiple wall. In the middle of the complex was a courtyard with a fountain.
Construction phase II: Destruction and reconstruction from 1242 to the beginning of the 16th century
After the castle was destroyed in the conflict between Friedrich II. And Bishop Rüdiger von Passau in the years 1242–1244, the castle was rebuilt and probably expanded. The restoration lasted until 1255, when the fortified tower was mentioned for the first time, which was supposed to ensure the safety of the bishop. The remaining part of the complex consisted of residential and farm buildings. The exact appearance of the castle in the 13th and 14th centuries is not known for sure. In 1444 the three closed fronts along the steep sides of the castle hill and the two neck ditches with bridges to the east were described. The previously isolated components thus formed a closed complex. One can assume that the Linzer Tor did not exist at that time. It is not known when the kennel was built in the west. In Piccolomini's letter, this was compared to a triple wall around the castle. The description of Piccolominis from the 15th century shows some similarities with the drawing by Clemens Beuttler and the floor plan from 1797. The two fountains can also be seen on this floor plan, a third water inlet was also mentioned. In the 16th century, the fronts were unified, smoothed and continuous wings were created. It is believed that the stairs were built during this time.
Construction phase III: Restoration under Bishop Wolfgang Graf von Salm
At the beginning of the 16th century the castle was neglected, but restored by repair work by Bishop Wolfgang Graf von Salm (1540–1555). Window frames, canopies, floors of the tower and the kitchen were repaired and some stairs were repaired. At the same time the brewery was built, which supplied the people in the area until 1559. At the same time, a brewery was opened in Linz, which the Ebelsberger set limits. In 1546 the construction work was described on a coat of arms to the left of the castle gate on the market side. The renovation work found its way into two works by the humanist Kasper Bruschius.
Construction phase IV: Fire of 1586, 1589 Wappenstein Bishop Urban von Trennbach
A fire in 1586 destroyed the castle, the market and the Ebelsberg Traun Bridge. The reconstruction under Bishop Urban III. Trennbach lasted until 1589. It was not a new building, as the internal structure is too irregular and the two polygonal stair towers were certainly built before that, in the middle of the 16th century. In the middle of the 17th century, the side gables of the north wing showed a central and two side round turrets with spire helmets, which were attributed to the Renaissance period. In Beuttler's drawing, these had already been replaced by niches. A board on the right side of the castle gate on the market side provides information about the destruction and renovation work.
Construction phase V under Bishop Wenzel (1667-1824)
During the tenure of Bishop Wenceslaus, the chapel and the great hall were rebuilt and the long stable was rebuilt. In the floor plan from 1797 these areas can be seen except for the corridor system built in the 19th century. The exact structure of the ground floor and its division is only partially included in the plan, only the outside of the south wing is visible. In the north wing of the old brewery, the remains of the access to the Zwinger were re-used. The west wing was heavily modified when the outer wall of the south wing was built in the 19th century. The high wall rails on the inside of the corridor are reminiscent of the old building in the south wing, as can also be seen in the illustration from 1824.
Construction phase VI: The renovation of the castle after 1826 by Baron von Kast
A fire towards the end of the 18th century and the destruction of the castle in the battle in 1809 had worsened the condition of the castle outside and inside. After it was taken over by Baron von Kast in 1825, the complex was given today's interior structure with a corridor system running around the courtyard; A large main staircase was built in the south wing. The construction work made support measures on the ground floor necessary. If the level of the wing was very different before the renovation, around 1827 the top floor was taken away and the remaining floors were brought to the same height. The wings had different functions. The east wing and the basement floors of the north wing were intended for commercial purposes, administrative matters were dealt with in the west wing and the south wing was dedicated to representative and residential purposes. The reconstruction work of the castle after 1827 under Baron von Kast is referred to in the literature as a "relatively economical new adaptation". At that time the roof received a substructure; this raised the flat profile of the building a little. The stair towers and the Linzer Tor were decorated with a crenellated wreath. The staircase and the salettl-like wooden veranda above the entrance on the courtyard side are particularly characteristic of this construction phase.
architecture
The location on a hill makes the castle appear as a unified structure above the urban area. The complex forms a quadrangle and is two-storey; from the trapezoidal inner courtyard you can hardly guess the original design. The building has largely retained its original size at the beginning of the modern era , but is one storey lower. It also contains building remains from the first third of the 13th century, the earliest construction phase of the castle. The towers were built in the first half of the 19th century and the facades were renewed.
Exterior
The two-storey complex describes an irregular square with smooth facade fronts and very flat gable roofs. The otherwise undivided outer facade is only emphasized by the Linzer and Ennser Tor. The Ennser Tor protrudes uniaxially on the east facade. A horizontal ledge with three coat of arms is located above the arched stone walls with wedge and fighter stones. The former defense tower can be seen on the left through the widened window axis. The Linzer Tor in the west wing is higher than the rest of the building and ends with a crenellated wreath with blind arches below the flat roof.
The entrance to the Ennser Tor has a cross vault between Gurten (after 1826). The medieval masonry of the gate tower is visible on the south wall. In the west wing, the Linzer Tor drops from today's level of the courtyard to the outer portal by more than a meter, as the courtyard was raised with rubble after 1825. The gate entrance has a barrel vault with burr stitch caps (16th century).
On the south wall of the courtyard is a wooden, glazed balcony over two Granite Doric columns. It served as a porch for the staircase built in the 19th century. The wappenbekrönte Portal is the main staircase under the veranda porch that of two to 1987 fluted stucco pilasters with capitals was framed.
In the middle of the courtyard, a dolphin fountain from the 19th century characterizes the picture. The wide and round fountain basin has a square baluster column in the middle with a flat, clam-shaped shell, which is carried by three water-spouting dolphins.
basement, cellar
The basement consists only of the two-storey square in the south and west wing. The former beer cellar in the north wing has been buried, there is no basement in the east wing. The basement rooms are unplastered, the original wall structure is clearly visible there. In the large, square wine cellar , a square central pillar made of stone supports four pointed arched cross vaults made of bricks. The side walls are structured differently. In its upper section, the north wall contains the coarse base masonry of the former gate tower, which protrudes slightly in front of the wall, underneath are light-colored bricks and rubble stones. In the western corner there is a round arched portal opening with approaching stone steps, from there a wide staircase led up to the courtyard, which is now walled up. The south and north walls of the cellar consist of larger, light, smooth sandstone blocks of different origins than those of the former defense tower , which were probably previously used as spoilers . The cellar floor was probably covered with pebbles in the 16th century.
The small wine cellar can be entered from the former passage between the courtyard and the kennel. A marble Gothic spoiler is built into its upper entrance. In the basement, a central support with beveled edges supports four brick groined vaults made from slightly tapered barrels . A round-arched, chamfered stone wall leads to the adjacent barrel-vaulted side room. The walls mostly consist of dark granite rubble stones mixed with bricks. Lighter bricks were used in the lower wall zone on the north-west corner of the castle. The cellar was built in the 15th and first half of the 16th century because of the late Gothic spandrel masonry . The other basement rooms have brick barrels over slightly sloping plinth areas, probably also from the 16th century.
Stair towers
The two stair towers of the castle still have the original ridge vaults from the 16th century in the roof structure, the south-eastern one a groin vault , the northwest one an eight-part lancet vault . The steps of the spiral staircase are made of Untersberg marble . The portal, the wooden door with wrought iron fittings, acanthus and mask decoration on the upper floor of the south-eastern stair tower are on the 16th and 17th centuries. Attributable to the century. The south staircase has a steep, single- run approach that tapers towards the top, a representative installation from the 19th century after 1826. It is divided into two semicircular arms that lead into a spacious vestibule on the upper floor . The semicircular end of the vestibule towards the stairwell, a curved balustrade with four figurative attachments, has a theatrical, balcony-like effect. The balustrade of the lower flight of stairs also has four attachments, each with two classical vases at the beginning and at the end of the approach. The access from the courtyard to the stairwell is off the axis to the north via a four-step, three-sided flight of stairs under the veranda. The lower flight of stairs is vaulted with Prussian caps. At the foot, two Tuscan granite columns, connected by a belt arch with a wrought-iron traffic light and floral decoration, form a kind of triumphal arch motif. On the side of the stairs there are two arched windows to the stairwell. The upper connection of the approach is an arched portal with glazed wings. On the wall facing the courtyard, a monumental mirror is framed inside with etched glass (Murano) and outside with elaborate carving.
The upper stair landing and the vestibule are equipped with a ceiling mirror, a chandelier , an olive-colored stove and a wall mirror. The frame consists of cloverleaf-shaped, overlapping strips, surrounded by a simple round strip with a rosette frieze , somewhat lush star rosettes in the corners and circular rosettes in the center of the mirror. The chandelier consists of wrought iron chains with glass chandeliers. The wall mirror has a wooden frame; the table next to it with brass appliqués comes from the late Biedermeier-early historical period.
Tracts
The former kitchen in the south wing of the ground floor is currently used as a salon. The room is three-axis with an anteroom and has a barrel vault with belt arches . The current equipment dates from 1925 and has been slightly changed several times since then. The museum's exhibition rooms are located on the remaining part of the ground floor.
The west wing of the upper floor is characterized by an enfilade of five rooms. The first three (from the north) have Bohemian glass chandeliers (around 1825) and brass door fittings from the first half of the 19th century. The first two rooms have white Swedish deck ovens. The fourth room, the so-called concert hall, is adorned with a wooden wheel chandelier, also from the first half of the 19th century. It is equipped with a large white stove on iron feet with rococo decor, a mirror with a gold frame and side wall appliqués that match the chandelier . The fifth room, the so-called China room in the tower with a square floor plan, is entered through a bronze door with a display of lyrics and reliefs of Diana and Apollo. The empire furnace has ceramic reliefs with a female genius in a lion's chariot and putti. Late Biedermeier wreaths with arrows are attached to the side. Chinoiseries are another decorative feature of the room.
The veranda , which you enter from the upper vestibule, consists of a wooden structure with a tent roof. There is a cast-iron traffic light at the top. A corner table with lion consoles stands on the simple strap floor.
On the upper floor of the south wing, a small dining room has a stucco ceiling in early historical forms. The adjoining corner room is next to the tower and above the Linzer Tor. It is equipped with a cylindrical white Empire stove with birds of prey feet and a top vase. The southeast corner room has a Swedish deck oven with late historical baroque decor in white from the second half of the 19th century.
Outbuilding of the castle
The castle, which is now administered by the Kast'sche Gutsverwaltung, originally owned a large number of outbuildings that were either demolished or used for other purposes over the years. When it was built in 1815, the so-called "servants' house" on the steep stairway from the market to the castle took over conscription number 45 from the stately Mairhof, which stood in the current park and fell victim to the dispute in 1809. The former "Saustall" (Ebelsberg 19), which was actually a Meierhof mentioned as early as 1526 and got its name from the castle's agricultural business, was renovated and rebuilt so that later a bicycle dealer and now rental apartments can be found there. The neighboring "Häusl in der Leiten" - bought by Marianna Kast in 1839 - no longer exists today, as does the press house in the castle park, which is connected to the underground cider cellar and which was demolished in 1986. The decorative pressed stone found its new use next to the eastern castle gate.
There are also two buildings at the entrance to the park: The first, right by the gate, is the recently renovated “Pförtnerhäusl”. The second is the "Gärtnerhäusl" or "Gartenhäusl", which is located a little to the south and which has its name. the "Schlossgärtnerei Sandner" (now: Stiftsgärtnerei Sandner) located here in the 1970s and its location. However, it was adapted for residential purposes, for which it had previously served as the bailiff's house. Prince Auersperg currently lives there. The stairs that led from there to the market no longer exist today. In the market itself, only house 39 remains as one of several in the possession of Kast. The outside Kremsmairhof is just as much a part of it, as is the equestrian facility built in the 1960s and the brick lifts.
After the sale of the large estates for residential building purposes, there are still around 30 hectares of land, several leased agricultural areas and fishing waters.
Coat of arms and building inscriptions
The coats of arms of Ebelsberg Castle were evidently handed down more and more, even during renovations , for reasons of legitimation of the Passau legal claim to the rule of Ebelsberg. During the last complete renovation in 1825, the coats of arms used as building inscriptions were only partially rearranged and expanded with two baroque stones by Baron von Kast, who had today's Ennser Tor and the main staircase rebuilt.
The coat of arms of Baron v. Kast (after 1825) can be seen as a cross-oval coat of arms stone with floral, baroque framing. The first square shows a standing figure in a long robe with a flower in his hand. The second and fourth are split and represent an animal head accompanied by three stars in front and an inclined cross at the back. In the third square, a rafter is accompanied by three roses . This coat of arms also contains two crest decorations . The right is a bow helmet with a lion facing left above, the second helmet ornament shows a figure with an attribute in the right hand between two horns (= Baron v. Kast). A very similar coat of arms stone is located in the courtyard above the staircase portal.
In the courtyard of the castle, the double coat of arms of Bishop Georg von Hohenlohe characterizes the picture. On the south-eastern stair tower on the second floor there is the double coat of arms made of two smooth, assembled, high rectangular panels. At the bottom, the coats of arms show a pure round shape, pierced helmets with a crest and a Gothic zaddel work. The first coat of arms shows a soaring (naturalistic) wolf with a horizontal tail. On the second coat of arms, two lions with their tails crossed and looking at the viewer are depicted. The crest forms an eagle with a flight drawn far over the head (= Hohenlohe). The crest exceeds the size of the shields. The coat of arms was also at this point in 1668.
Today's use of the facility
Today the castle is privately owned.
Ebelsberg Castle Cultural Association
The Kulturverein Schloss Ebelsberg was founded in 1977 with the aim of repairing the castle and the castle park and using the facility in a contemporary and sensible way. Since 1979, under the direction of the Ebelsberg Castle Cultural Association, the castle has been available to the public for exhibitions, musical, folk and cultural events, for civil weddings, wedding celebrations, seminars and company events. A Christmas market takes place in the castle during Advent .
Ebelsberg Castle Museum
In the weapons collection, which is operated by the Kulturverein Schloss Ebelsberg in cooperation with the Kast'schen Gutsverwaltung, weapons from the holdings of the Upper Austrian State Museum are on display.
Ebelsberg Castle now houses a museum with two permanent exhibitions - these are mainly dedicated to the battle near Ebelsberg in 1809 and a naval exhibition of the Imperial Navy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The weapons collection shows the development of weapons in Austria and other European countries during the 19th and 20th centuries. Objects of this exhibition are rifles, machine guns, pistols, revolvers and edged weapons. The naval exhibition shows former ships from the Austro-Hungarian Navy . It is intended to commemorate the time when Austria was still a sea power.
Ebelsberg Castle Park
After Karl Theodor von Kast had acquired the castle, he had a park laid out to the east in 1826. A horse chestnut avenue leads through the park to the gate tower of the castle. Among the trees there are valuable species such as boxwood, winter linden, pedunculate oak, tulip tree, tree of gods, bush chestnut, Japanese pagoda and many more. Since 1890, the park has also housed a war memorial to honor those who fell in battle around 1809. The palace park, which is somewhat isolated from the town center, is only hesitantly accepted as a recreational area. This should change in the future as a result of the attractiveness measures that have not been precisely implemented.
literature
- Eva Berger: Historic Gardens of Austria. Gardens and parks from the Renaissance to around 1930. Volume 2: Upper Austria, Salzburg, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol. Böhlau, Wien et al. 2003, ISBN 3-205-99352-7 , pp. 81–82.
- Franz X. Rohrhofer: Linz times 12. Volume 10: Ebelsberg. Trauner, Linz 2009, ISBN 978-3-85499-599-9 .
- Herbert Baumert, Georg Grüll : Mühlviertel and Linz (= castles and palaces in Upper Austria. Volume 1). 3rd, expanded edition. Birken-Verlag, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-85030-046-3 .
- Federal Monuments Office, Department for Inventory and Monument Research (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger : Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg (= Austrian art topography. Volume 55). Berger, Horn 1999, ISBN 3-85028-301-1 .
- Manfred Carrington , Andreas Reiter (Red.): The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. Herkules Artwork advertising agency, Linz 2007, ISBN 978-3-200-01044-4 .
- Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: Ebelsberg 1809. French times in Linz and Upper Austria. Lentia-Verlag, Linz 2009, ISBN 978-3-9502622-1-6 .
- Peter Senn (Ed.): Ebelsberg. Past and present in individual contributions. Kulturinitiative Ebelsberg, Linz 1982.
Web links
- Ebelsberg Castle Cultural Association
- Entry via Ebelsberg Castle to Burgen-Austria
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Franz X. Rohrhofer: Linz times 12. Volume 10: Ebelsberg. 2009.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter (Red.): The south of Linz. 2007, pp. 108-119.
- ↑ a b c d e Ebelsberg Castle. In: stadtgeschichte.linz.at.
- ^ Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. P. 108.
- ↑ a b c d Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. P. 109.
- ^ Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. P. 110.
- ^ Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. P. 111.
- ^ Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: The south of Linz. Past and present of the villages of Ebelsberg, Mönchgraben, Pichling, Posch, Ufer, Wambach. P. 113.
- ↑ Inscription next to the castle gate on the market side.
- ↑ Peter Senn (Ed.): Ebelsberg. Past and present in individual contributions. 1982, p. 54.
- ↑ a b c Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: Ebelsberg. A historical tour. From the market to the district of Linz. = A historical tour. From market town to a district of Linz. Lentia-Verlag, Linz 2009, ISBN 978-3-9502622-2-3 .
- ↑ a b c d Manfred Carrington, Andreas Reiter: Ebelsberg 1809. French times in Linz and Upper Austria. 2009.
- ↑ Kast von Ebelsberg on Salzburg Wiki.
- ↑ As if by a miracle, the fountain was not damaged. Storm damage at Ebelsberg Castle. Linz - Süd Aktuell, 2007, accessed on June 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, pp. 549-550.
- ↑ Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, pp. 550-551.
- ↑ a b c Federal Monuments Office (ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, p. 551.
- ↑ a b c d Federal Monuments Office (ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, pp. 515-554.
- ↑ Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, pp. 538-540.
- ↑ a b Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, p. 540.
- ↑ a b c d Federal Monuments Office (ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, p. 541.
- ↑ Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, p. 543.
- ↑ a b Bundesdenkmalamt (Ed.): The profane architectural and art monuments of the city of Linz. Volume 3: Herfried Thaler, Willibald Katzinger: Outside areas, Urfahr, Ebelsberg. 1999, p. 544.
- ↑ Waffensammlung Schloss Ebelsberg ( Memento from November 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), Upper Austrian State Museums, accessed on January 25, 2013.
- ^ Memorial to the fallen volunteers in Vienna (1809). In: stadtgeschichte.linz.at.
- ^ Eva Berger: Historical Gardens of Austria. Gardens and parks from the Renaissance to around 1930. Volume 2: Upper Austria, Salzburg, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol. Böhlau, Wien et al. 2003, ISBN 3-205-99352-7 , pp. 81–82.
- ^ Elke Schmid: Linz cultural districts today. Ebelsberg (old Ebelsberg and expansion area) . Ed .: Johannes Kepler University. Linz 2008 ( linz09.at [PDF; 4.4 MB ]).
Coordinates: 48 ° 14 ′ 48.3 " N , 14 ° 19 ′ 41.7" E