Burg Sommeregg
P3
Castle Sommeregg
The Sommeregg castle is located in the district Schloßau the cadastral Treffling in the community Seeboden in the Austrian province of Carinthia. The castle is perched on one of the typical for the Millstaetter hilltops. First mentioned in 1187, the twin castle was preserved from decay and currently houses a restaurant and a torture museum. In feudal times, the castle was the seat of the lords and viscounts of Sommeregg.
History
The discovery of a Lappenbeils from the urn field culture in Treffling suggest that the area and thus the castle hill has been inhabited as refuge since about four thousand years. Lange 1237 was the first written mention of the castle, as Count William of Malta is said to have given a Ortolf of Sommeregg ( Count Hermann II of Ortenbourg? ) Goods the Milstätter lake and below the castle as a fief Sommeregg this year. However, it is likely that the castle has at least been passed to 1187, since this year in a document of the South Tyrolean monastery Neustift next to Count Otto of places castle and Henry of Geschieß (today Rosenheim in Baldramsdorf, community Spittal an der Drau ) is a Witemarus is mentioned by Sommeregg. As knightly vassals the Sommeregger have expanded the castle on behalf of Ortenburgers. On 29 May 1275 the castle is the scene of a great noble gathering. On this day the marriage contract between the Count Albert of Gorizia and the Countess Euphemia of places Burg- Hardegg is completed. Until 1338, all locations burg ministeriales call exclusively "by Sommeregg " and possibly belonged to the same family to. From 1344 appear names that point to a different origin. All had held the office of viscount ( Castellan ) or knight, which involved the Burghut and military support to the Ortenburgers what you got the duties of humble farmers within the castle.
When the Ortenburgers became extinct in 1418, their dominion was taken over by the Counts of Celje, for the possessions in Upper Carinthia, however, were relatively insignificant. This gained the families who managed the Cillier possession, influence. In 1442 Sommeregg passed through the marriage of Andreas von ditch Sommeregg Barbara Hallecker, the heiress of the Sommeregger Burggrafen Jörg Hallecker, in the possession of the Lords of the trench. Is working as an ortenburgische captain Andrew of digging got the rule (castle county) Sommeregg and other income of Count Frederick II of Cilli as a fief. Andreas von trench made in the wake of the castle to his family home and built the Trefflinger church representative. Meanwhile, the county places castle was after the assassination of the last Cilliers in Belgrade ( 1456 ) passes through the peace of Pusarnitz to the Habsburgs. The Family Of ditch the feudal possession was confirmed. Under Virgil of digging Sommeregg was conquered in 1487 by Hungarian troops and destroyed. There was a dispute over the occupation of the diocese of Salzburg, for which the family managed ditch possessions. Through the reconstruction of the castle received its typical irregular shape. At the old high medieval castle remembers only the round tower. Ernst von trench ( a brother of Virgil ) Rosina heiress of digging Rain received the fief by Emperor Maximilian I confirmed. Subsequently Sommeregg came into the hands of her husband, the Baron of Rain family. However, the family shifted the focus of its activities to Bavaria and sold the dominion on the mountain Millstaetter in 1550 to Christoph Khevenhüller. The rule Sommeregg at that time had its own country and neck Court. The counts Khevenhüller also had the privilege to the title of " of Aichelberglifte on Landskron and Sommeregg ". In the second half of the 16th century were Mathes Heidenreich and Kristoph Heidenreich, the builder of the castle Pöllan, caregivers of domination. The Khevenhüller were when they sold to 1628 hosts the castle this on May 4 to the rulers Hans Wittmann for 110,000 guilders. Wittmann led the castle is relatively short, because in 1651 it was acquired by Countess Catherine of Lodron. Sommeregg remaining until 1932 owned by the family of the Counts of Lodron. Through the basic relief of 1848 the building had lost its function as the center of a private manorial complex and increasingly came into decline. Storms in the years 1933 and 1935 damaged the hard roof of the castle. 1969 acquired Elfi and Andreas Egger the decayed almost to the ruin castle of Baroness Rosenberg de la Marre, renovated and restored the castle. In 1992 she sold Sommeregg to the Riegler family. This opened the castle for tourism, began a restoration operation, established the Museum of Torture and find every year since 1997 in August great jousting instead.
Current situation
Currently located on the lower floor and on the terraces, a restaurant with gastronomic experience. Upstairs is a torture museum has been set up by the operators say it is the largest of its kind in Central Europe. Supported by Amnesty International means provides replicas old torture instruments from the times of the Middle Ages and the Inquisition (thumb screws, stretching benches, Spanish boots, nail chairs, pillory, etc. ), but also makes the current situation and the fight against torture as a means of " truth " about 70 faithfully nachbebauten exhibits carefully.
One of the last witch trials in Carinthia took on Castle Sommeregg its output. 1653 was the weather makers of Matzelsdorf, Kaspar Haintz, beheaded for Wettermacherei in Gmünd, after he had answered 114 questions under torture positive.
For three weeks in August, also known knight festival held in the specially built medieval village.