Spindlhof Castle

Exterior view of the former aristocratic residence

The Spindlhof Castle is located in the north of the market Regenstauf , right on the north bank of the rain . The property, which is over 400 years old, has received several new buildings and extensions over the centuries and is now owned by the diocese of Regensburg . Today it is used as an education and conference center and is available to both church and non-church organizers.

history

Oil painting of the Spindlhof, painted around 1800

Spindlhof Castle is recorded for the first time on a map from the Regenstauf Care Office in 1597 . The business enterprise called "Mühlhof" at the beginning was owned by Hans Spindler, who coined the current name. After leasing a mill in 1652, Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm largely exempted the court from taxes. In 1691, Spindlhof, which was expanded to include a forest and several lands and was owned by Hans Christoph Freiherr von Diemantstein, was granted freedom of the state and thus became a seat of the nobility. From then on he had the right to his own jurisdiction for minor offenses and the right to hunt small game.

In the following years, the Spindlhof experienced a number of changes of ownership. It should be noted in particular that it was not a permanent family property, but many noble barons coveted the building and had it expanded and changed according to their own ideas at the time of ownership. The Spindlhof experienced its earliest clerical influences around 1800, when it was owned by Auxiliary Bishop Valentin Anton von Schneid, who had a chapel built next to the main castle . The first pictorial representation of the Spindlhof Palace, on which the main palace, including the chapel, ancillary buildings and the boundary wall, can be seen, also dates from this period.

The castle had the largest property holdings in 1918, when it and 400 hectares of land were sold to the Argentine diplomat and aircraft manufacturer Hermann von Frémery. When the Frémery family returned to Argentina in 1947, they offered the Spindlhof to the then Archbishop Michael Buchberger , after which it was looked after by the Mallersdorfer sisters until 1969 . Spindlhof Castle has been owned by the Regensburg diocese since 1955.

owner

year	owner
1570-1649	Hans Spindler
1649-1687	Balthasar Praitschedel
1687-1700	Hans Christoph von Diemantstein
1700-1705	Niklas Xaver von Erolzheim
1705-1770	The von Schellerer family
1770-1802	Valentin Anton von Schneid
1802-1830	Maria Clara of Purlins
1830-1891	Sigmund von Juncker-Bigatto
1891-1918	Emil von Zakrzewsky
1918-1947	Hermann von Frémery
since 1947	Diocese of Regensburg

Building

Spindlhof Palace consists of six connected building complexes that frame the main palace. The neo-Gothic main castle, which was rebuilt from 1894–1901, goes over to the north side of the building in the north wing built in the mid-1950s. In the west, the main palace is connected to the hall building built in 1999, which leads into the south wing, which houses the palace chapel (1791) and was completed in the 1970s. In addition, the Albertus Magnus Church was built in 2004, which, in addition to its own entrance, is also connected to the castle chapel.

Building history

Today's castle developed from a business enterprise from the late 16th century with an associated mill on the Regen. The first extensive renovation took place in 1687 under the then owner Hans Christoph von Diemantstein. In 1791, Auxiliary Bishop Valentin Anton Freiherr von Schneid had an early Classicist chapel built south of the residential buildings , which is part of the patronage of the Holy Family .

After the Prussian government council a. D. and manor owner Emil Freiherr von Zakrzewsky bought the Spindlhof Palace in 1891, he began major renovations in 1894, which shape the present-day appearance of the Tudor-style palace. The main palace was given a second floor, today's Belétage, and was redesigned in the neo-Gothic style. In 1902 he also added an oratorio to the existing chapel.

After Spindlhof Castle was formally owned by the Diocese of Regensburg in 1955, extensive renovation began to make it a convalescent home for priests. In the same year, today's north wing was inaugurated as the first residential wing. Four years later, in 1959, the south wing, which served as the second residential wing, was completed. After a further two years, the outbuilding, which formerly served as a stable and was located between the main castle and the south wing, was demolished. The section briefly occupied by a connecting building was redesigned in 1999 to become today's hall building, which connects the main castle with the south wing and represents the entrance area of ​​the Spindlhof castle.

In 2004 the construction of the Albertus Magnus Church was completed, which is also structurally the most modern part of the palace.

Moorish hall (l.) And music hall (r.)

inside rooms

Most of the interior of the palace is now used as a conference room. In accordance with the building history of Spindlhof Castle, both the room structure and the furnishings are very different. The largest room in the Spindlhof is the so-called plenum, which is located in the hall and offers space for up to 150 people. The Belétage is on the second floor of the main castle. The Belétage houses seven halls from the late period of historicism, most of which have been preserved in their original form. The styles, which are also reflected in the furniture in the halls, range from neo-rococo to gothic and moorish influences.

The rooms in the north and south wings have been preserved as guest rooms and are available to visitors to the castle.

chapel

The palace chapel, built in 1791, is dedicated to the Holy Family . The early classical altar structure is enthroned in a picture that shows Mary and Joseph with the seven-year-old Jesus . On the altar itself there are relics of Saints Emmeram and Dionysius . The oratorio , which was subsequently built by Emil von Zakrzewsky, is now used as a confessional and pastoral room. The adjoining meditation room has a calligraphy by the calligrapher Hans Maierhofer .

Albertus Magnus Church

The Albertus-Magnus Church, built in 2004, is in the name of the Dominican scholar and church patron Albertus Magnus . The spiral-shaped (spindle-shaped) interior offers space for 100 people and directs the focus to the altar in the middle of the spiral. This is located under the dominant light source, a gold-plated ceiling opening that distributes the incident sunlight throughout the room. Behind the altar is a large bronze Jesus cross, which shows Jesus both crucified and resurrected.

The structure of the church reflects the four elements that come to light in the color and structural design as well as in the various plays of light. The specially made organ consists of two manuals , 14 sounding stops and almost 900 pipes .

Castle garden

The castle garden was first mentioned in 1770 because of its variety of flowers and herbs as well as the over 200 fruit trees. Today, in addition to the flower and orchard framing the castle, there is also a well-tended forest and several hectares of cultivated land. Outside the former enclosing walls, the adjacent rain and the opposite bank also belong to the castle.

Todays use

Spindlhof Castle, which is owned by the Regensburg diocese, is currently used as an educational and conference center. In addition to its in-house educational offer , which deals with the areas of theology , faith , culture , politics , economy and society , the castle also offers non-church organizers its rooms for use. In addition to the historic halls and the newer guest rooms, this also includes the castle's own dining room, which can accommodate 100 people, or the smaller parlor, which can accommodate 35 people.

administration

Sigmund Bonk is the director of Spindlhof Palace and Gerhard Haller is the managing director. The Albertus Magnus Church is looked after by Konrad Baumgarnter.

Web links

Commons : Spindlhof Palace  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Spindlhof Castle

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Christine Riedl-Valder: Spindlhof Castle . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, p. 26
2. ↑ ^{a b} Christine Riedl-Valder: Spindlhof Castle . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, p. 3
3. ^ Founder of AGO airframes. See: AGO Flugzeugwerke
4. ↑ Christine Riedl-Valder: Spindlhof Castle . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, pp. 3–6
5. ↑ Christine Riedl-Valder: Spindlhof Castle . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, p. 23

Coordinates: 49 ° 7 '55.8 "  N , 12 ° 7' 58.8"  E