Hof Castle

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Hof Castle
Engelhartstetten - Hof Palace (2) .JPG
Creation time : from 1620
Conservation status: Received or received substantial parts
Place: Engelhartstetten
Geographical location 48 ° 12 '54 "  N , 16 ° 56' 10.5"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 12 '54 "  N , 16 ° 56' 10.5"  E
Height: 163  m above sea level A.
Hof Palace (Lower Austria)
Hof Castle

Schloss Hof (formerly Schloßhof , originally Hoff an der March ) is the largest of the six Marchfeld palaces . It is located east of Vienna in the village of Schloßhof in the market town of Engelhartstetten in the Gänserndorf district in Lower Austria , not far from the March , which forms the border with Slovakia , and is visible from afar on the edge of the river terrace . The baroque palace complex essentially consists of the actual palace building, a seven-terrace baroque garden in east-west direction, a meierhof complex with two orangeries in the north and two large stables in the west.

The castle was built in the 1620s to the east of what was then the medieval fortress courtyard . After Prince Eugene of Savoy acquired the complex in 1725, he expanded it into a representative country estate. In 1755 the palace came into the possession of Austria's landlady Maria Theresa . From 1773 to 1775 Franz Anton Hillebrandt converted and extended it to its present day appearance .

history

Bernardo Bellotto : The imperial pleasure palace Schloss Hof, courtyard side , 1759–1760, Kunsthistorisches Museum , Vienna
Bernardo Bellotto : The imperial pleasure palace Schloss Hof, view from the north , 1759–1760, Kunsthistorisches Museum , Vienna
Schloss Hof, Prince Eugen speaks to his administrator (picture by Franz Wacik , 1913)

The "Veste Hof", first mentioned in the 12th and 13th centuries, was owned by the Eckartsau family for a long time , who until 1507 enjoyed the privilege of protecting the ford over the March. In the early 16th century, the "Veste Hof" briefly fell into the hands of the Pollheimers , before it was finally acquired by Eustachius Pranckh von Rickersdorf from the Styrian noble family Pranckh zu Rickersdorf . Repeated damage from floods caused his son Friedrich von Pranckh to move the family seat to the "Hofberg" in 1620. He had a Renaissance fort built, which remained unchanged for over a century.

In 1725 Prince Eugene of Savoy , one of the most successful Austrian generals, acquired the Renaissance fort and the Markt Hof . He commissioned Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt to convert the fort into a baroque hunting lodge. As in his garden palace in Vienna, the prince had many of the stone carving work inside and in the garden carried out by the Kaisersteinbruch masters under the direction of Hofsteinmetzmeister Elias Hügel .

After Prince Eugene's death in 1736, his niece, Anna Viktoria von Savoyen , inherited the castle, which she presented to her husband, Joseph Friedrich von Sachsen-Hildburghausen , as a morning gift after the couple's wedding in Paris in 1738 . Maria Theresa bought it from him in 1755 and Joseph II added one floor to it in 1772 .

In April 1766, Archduchess Marie Christine , Maria Theresa's favorite daughter, married the Wettin Albert Casimir von Sachsen-Teschen in the chapel of Schloss Hof . The couple's residence was in the immediate vicinity of Hof Palace: The newlyweds moved into their new home in Pressburg , where Albert Kasimir von Sachsen-Teschen acted as governor for the Kingdom of Hungary on behalf of Maria Theresa . After Maria Theresa's death in 1780 and the appointment of her son-in-law as governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands with official residence in Brussels , Hof Palace fell into oblivion and from then on was hardly used by the imperial family.

Under Franz Joseph I , the castle was handed over to the army as a training facility in 1898 . The furniture was housed in various depots belonging to the Hofärar in Vienna. During the First World War , the Austro-Hungarian Naval Academy was relocated from Fiume for a short time for security reasons, but in the summer of 1915 the academy moved on to Braunau am Inn .

During the Second World War , the riding and driving school of military district 17 of the Wehrmacht was housed at Schloss Hof. During the subsequent occupation (1945–1955), the Red Army was quartered in the rooms of the castle, since Lower Austria belonged to the Soviet occupation zone .

Today, many original furnishings at Schloss Hof are a reminder of the pomp and splendor of the baroque era. As part of the preparation of the Lower Austrian provincial exhibition in the Prinz-Eugen-1986 (250th year of death of the prince) was the main floor restored the castle and the furniture preserved from the Baroque period, which was stored in depots in Austria or used in Austrian embassies abroad was , returned to Hof Palace. A planned summit meeting in the castle on the occasion of the Austrian EU Council Presidency in 2006 was not held due to security concerns. The orangery in the Meierhof was revitalized and reopened in early May 2007. In 2019, the restoration of Hof Palace was completed with the complete restoration of the baroque garden.

Regular events

Schloss Hof is open all year round, but the opening times are slightly shorter in winter than in summer. In addition to the spring and autumn garden days, the recurring program items at Prince Eugen's former summer residence include the baroque animal parade on May 1st, the great holiday fun in August and the great horse festival, the Marchfeld harvest festival and the dragon climbing festival in late summer and autumn. The Easter market in March and April and the Christmas market on the five weekends before Christmas Eve have meanwhile developed into annual events that attract high numbers of visitors and are very popular. Since 2009, the Marchfeld summer night has been inviting people to dance and socialize in the riding arenas of Schloss Hof: In June 2015, the ball attracted hundreds of guests to the area of ​​Prince Eugen's baroque pleasure palace for the 7th time.

From March 15 to November 29, 2017, part of the anniversary exhibition 300 Years of Maria Theresa: Strategist - Mother - Regent on the occasion of the 300th birthday of the Empress was on view in Hof Palace . The focus here was on alliances and hostilities .

Baroque garden

Bernardo Bellotto : The imperial pleasure palace Schloss Hof, garden side , 1759–1760, Kunsthistorisches Museum , Vienna

In addition to the castle, the 50  hectare area also has a large baroque garden with numerous stairs , fountains and statues. Since Kaiserstein can be worked well when it is still damp , the stone from Kaisersteinbruch is processed in various forms in the garden of Schloss Hof, for example as a step stone and in the fountain systems, but also as a sculptural stone , such as the two sphinxes on the stairs of the fourth to the fifth terrace.

The garden of Schloss Hof is divided into seven terraces, all of which have been restored. It is one of the few in Europe that has not been changed in its structure since its creation. The garden has become overgrown over time, but has been reconstructed in recent years based on old plans, historical records and extensive archaeological excavations, during which the original foundations of wells such as the large cascade on the fifth terrace were found. This was possible because another very detailed plan of the garden, the so-called "Zinner Plan", which had long been lost, was found again in Tyrol in 2005 . As far as possible, the broderie beds on the terraces are again planted with flowers that were popular and widespread in the baroque period, such as the tulip. In both spring and summer planting, care is taken to choose the colors of the flowers in the beds according to their percentage in the baroque garden of Prince Eugene.

Garden description

Reconstruction of the garden of Schloss Hof. The designations 1a to 7c refer to the following terrace descriptions

The baroque garden consists of seven terraces that slope gently to the east towards the March. It is not clear who designed the garden. The concept of the sloping terraces is attributed to Lucas von Hildebrandt and the design of the garden to the Fontainier Dominique Girard . The execution was in the hands of the garden inspector Anton Zinner and the field engineer Ludwig Seibb. The wrought iron work in turn was carried out by Johann Georg Oegg and Christian Kremer. Storage basins were created in the nearby Groißenbrunn for the water supply and the operation of the fountains . The three paintings by Canaletto from Schloss Hof from around 1760 serve as sources for the restoration of the garden : the courtyard side, the garden view and the view from the north, all in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Four other plans of the garden are used to revitalize it:

  • The Windpässingerplan, created around 1727, in the picture archive of the Austrian National Library . It comes from Johann Georg Windpässinger and shows the first three terraces and the Meierhof . The detailed representation of the Broderieparterre is remarkable .
  • The Albertina map from the time after 1775 in the Albertina graphic collection . This plan shows all seven terraces. Although details of the second and third terraces are not shown on the plan, it is of particular importance for the revitalization of the fifth, sixth and seventh terraces.
  • The Gruber plan from around 1825, also in the Albertina graphic collection. It is essentially identical to the Albertina plan, but it shows a first reduction in the complex treetop layers on the fifth terrace.
  • The Zinnerplan was only discovered in an archive in Innsbruck in 2005 and, in addition to a precise depiction of the broderie parterre, also includes a picture of the pavilions between the treble layers on the fifth terrace.

The first terrace

An avenue led from Niederweiden Castle to the main entrance and the forecourt of the castle. Neither the gate to this forecourt nor the bridge that spanned the fortified moat with a wall have been preserved.

At the side there are two parallel stables (1a). In the step to the second terrace was the Neptune Fountain (1b), as can be seen in the painting of the courtyard side by Canaletto . However, it was filled in in the 19th century, so that only the two side ramps remained. During the work to revitalize the garden in 2004–2006, the foundations of the Neptune Fountain were exposed and the fountain socket reconstructed according to the original plans. The figurative decorations, especially the eponymous Neptune statue, remained lost.

The second terrace

Reconstruction of the 2nd to 4th terrace

By adding the side wings (2a) under Lucas von Hildebrandt to the original fort, the court of honor was created in which Prince Eugene received his visitors in the 1730s. The lateral broderie parterre (2b) to the left and right of the castle have not been restored and have instead been replaced by lawns.

The third terrace

The immediate east-facing garden terrace of the castle building

Three stairs (3a) lead from the second to the third terrace. In 2004, the asphalt that covered the paths was removed and the construction of the Broderieparterre (3b) started. In the spring of 2005, the ground floor was planted for the first time according to the templates. In addition to the green of the box borders and lawns, red brick chippings, white marble gravel and black coal fragments are used for the color design. The mid-terrace adorned with the Naiads fountain (3c).

The fourth terrace

In the main axis, two semicircular arms of stairs lead from the third down to the fourth terrace, which is entered through a wrought-iron gate. The flights of stairs enclose a fountain grotto (4a) with statues of Danuvius , the river god of the Danube, and the river goddess March. On the six-meter-high wall of the third terrace, which opens into two side bastions, originally espalier fruit trees grew, which were replanted in 2010.

The fifth terrace

Three flights of stairs lead to the fifth terrace. The wide central staircase (5a), on the sides of which two sphinxes watch over the baroque garden of Hof Palace, is still preserved. On the helical ends of the stairs stood vases that were later set up in the chamber garden of Schönbrunn Palace and replaced in 2008 with true-to-original copies. Of the two side stairs (5b), only the ramps and the figures of the four seasons at the stairs remain. The seasons are represented by the following allegorical figures: Flora symbolizes spring, Apollo summer, Bacchus autumn and Vesta symbolizing winter. In 1991, soil excavations were carried out on behalf of the Federal Monuments Office, which uncovered the layout of the paths, the shapes of the ground floor and the foundations of the treetop layers as they can be seen on the plans. After the excavations, a layer of humus was applied again and the planting of the avenues began. In 2005 the terrace was laid out symmetrically again and, starting from the central axis, now consists of a narrow strip of planted lawn (5c) (plate-bande), a lawn parterre (5d) bordered with flower beds framed by box (parterre de broderie mêlée de massifes de gazon) and a cut avenue. Originally there was a treillage (5e) here, but it has not yet been restored.

The sixth terrace

The large cascade (6a) is located in the central axis . In 1843 it was demolished because it was in disrepair and replaced by a simple retaining wall made of roughly hewn stones. During the restoration work in 2016–2017, large parts of the reliefs of the original well, which had previously been believed to be lost, were rediscovered in the retaining wall and could thus be incorporated into the reconstruction. As in baroque times, the water rushes over five bowls into the lower basin. The side allegories of Prince Eugen's statecraft (6b) and Prince Eugen's war fame (6c) as well as part of the Neptune-Thetis group have been preserved, as are the two side stairs (6d). The figure decorations, the groups of putti from the four continents and elements, however, are missing. The continent of America and the element of water are now in the Upper Belvedere . The terrace has been planted symmetrically since 2006 with a lawn parterre with flower edging (6e), an open, cut avenue and a cut hedge (6f).

The seventh terrace

Reconstruction of the 7th terrace

Through the small cascade (7a), the water overcomes the step to the seventh terrace. For a long time only the clasp-shaped, side ramps were left. The remains of the masonry had been covered with soil to protect against further weathering. The restoration of the small cascade began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. The terrace is divided into four fields by a longitudinal and transverse axis. At the crossing point there is an octagonal fountain (7b), which was only preserved as a depression and was only restored in 2007. The fountain originally shot from the mouth of a sea monster that had been transported to the Villa Erhard in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg , but was sold to France in 2003. Today a copy of the sculpture has returned to its original location. In 2017, the felling of the mixed forest, which had spread over a large part of the terrace in the 19th century, began. In the course of archaeological excavations, baroque path structures were found that match the original historical plan and have been restored. The two staircases were also rebuilt on the remains of the wall that had been preserved. The reconstruction work was completed in 2019.

The Marchtor (7c) at the lower end of the garden marks the transition from the subject to the great outdoors.

Meierhof

The dairy and the two orangeries (to the east)

The baroque manor , one of the largest still preserved Meierhöfe in Europe, was restored and made accessible to the public. Workshops have been set up in the Meierhof, with the help of which visitors can get to know baroque life (turnery, pottery, basketry, gardening, schnapps distillery). The two mirror-like orangeries that adjoin the Meierhof are among the largest and also oldest (1729/30) Baroque buildings of this type in Europe. They also have the only underground warm-air heating system that has been preserved and put back into operation .

Baroque breeds of domestic animals live again today in the stables and on the pastures of the farm. Participation in breeding programs should prevent the extinction of old Austrian breeds such as the Nonius horses that were widespread in the 19th century . Lipizzaners , Norikers , spectacled sheep and camels as well as some of the world's last Austro-Hungarian white donkeys graze in the pastures .

Bridge over the March

In 2012 the Bicycle Bridge of Freedom was opened at the point where a bridge crossed the March in Maria Theresa's time .

administration

Until 2002 Schloss Hof fell under the authority of the Castle Authority Austria . In 2002 the "Marchfeldschlösser Revitalisierungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft mbH" (MRBG) was founded, which was responsible for the administration of the palace until 2015, but after a critical audit court report it became a subsidiary of the Schönbrunn Palace Culture and Operating Company (SKB) in 2012 . In July 2015, the MRBG and the SKB were finally merged, so that Schloss Hof, which is still federally owned, is now under the administration of the latter.

Photo and video gallery

Videos on the restoration of the terrace and the Meierhof

Historical photos - before the start of the revitalization in 2004

  • Schloss Hof - former Neptune fountain before revitalization

  • Hof Palace - court of honor before the revitalization

  • Meierhof - the mirror pool

  • stables

  • Well grotto (4a)

  • One of the two - here stone-eyed - sphinxes guarding the gate

  • God Bacchus - group of figures The 4 Seasons

  • Goddess Vesta - Figure group The 4 Seasons

  • Naiad fountain from the Kaisersteinbrucher stone

  • Large staircases, also made from Kaiserstein

  • Central staircase to the 5th terrace

  • Side ramp with Vesta and Bacchus

  • View from the 6th terrace

  • Apollo - part of the Great Cascade

  • Small Cascade Basin

  • View from the old federal highway

  • Remnants of the Little Cascade

  • Big cascade

  • Remnants of the pool on the 7th terrace

  • Central staircase to the fountain grotto

Photos after the revitalization

  • Southwest view of the castle building with the terrace gardens

  • Orangery on the west side

  • The renovated Marchtor

Web links

Commons : Schloss Hof  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Max Haller: History of the castle courtyard. Cultur-historical sketch of the Austro-Hungarian pleasure palace Schloßhof ad March
  2. ↑ Marineakademie Braunau am Inn ( Memento of the original from August 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed February 4, 2012. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hrb.at
  3. ↑ Schloss Hof, 2015 program ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 3.15 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.schlosshof.at
  4. ↑ Stefan Havranek: 7th summer night of the Marchfelder . In: NÖ Nachrichten , Gänserndorf, June 14, 2015, website
  5. ↑ Unforgotten: Regent and Reformer: Look at Maria Theresa. In: Augsburger Allgemeine from January 5, 2017 [1]
  6. ↑ Information about the company on the official website of Schloss Hof ( Memento of the original from April 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.schlosshof.at