Ruine Pflindsberg
Engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer to 1681st
The Pflindsberg Castle is a late medieval ruins of a hilltop castle in the municipality Altausee in Liezen in Styria, Austria.
Location
The castle was west of Altausee on a 945 m high, wooded hill and was the only major medieval fortification of Ausseer country.
Name
The name Pflindsberg derives from the Middle High German " vlins " ( = the gravel, the rock ) and refers to the rocky site of the old fortress.
History
The Pflindsberg castle was built around 1250 on behalf of the chosen archbishop of Salzburg, Philipp von Spanheim. After the death of the last Babenberg duke Frederick II in 1246 by Phillip Spanheim had occupied as a result much of the Styrian Enns valley and thus the Ausseerland. The weir was founded to attach the new claim to power and protect the nearby salt mines at Sandling Massif and the mule tracks. In the rhyming chronicle Ottokar from the Gaal states:
" Ouch served the prince rich the Halberc and Usze, daʒ ( Philipp ago ) gewunne krefte mê, the Phlinsperc he Bute. "
Philip of Spanheim eventually had to withdraw again from Styria and the castle passed into the princely possession with the peace of furnace in 1254. In 1265 the plant was expanded and was first mentioned as " Vlinsperch castrum " documentary. Due to the protective function for the saline and the road over the Pötschenpass it was an important border fortress of Styria in the late 13th century.
The plant became the administrative center of low jurisdiction of the independent rule Pflindsberg which was separated from the princely rule gray Scharnhorst - Pürgg. The nursing office was exercised by a princely officials. The competence of the rule Pflindsberg comprised around 90 % of goods of the Ausseerland. The small fort served additionally as a seat of Saline responsible for the maintenance office ( Hall Office). The two offices ( nurses and nurse Pflindsberg the reign of saline) were usually exercised in personal union. The Headquarters of the Saline administration was moved but in 1395 the market Aussee.
Between 1460 and 1490 the rule was transferred to the high court. The castle care acted from that date as a county judge and the keep of the castle Pflindsberg served as a prison of the district court.
In the course of the 16th century finally the administrative headquarters of the rule Pflindsberg was moved into the market Aussee.
1574/75 was set at that time already quite dilapidated plant repaired Archduke Charles II. It was an apartment for a Bergmeister, who was also the jailer furnished. 1750 mansion and castle Pflindsberg were taken in the Salinenärar and so ultimately moved the court to Aussee. 1755 left the last occupant, the Bergmeister Preßl, the castle in order to move into the place. The plant was abandoned and already in 1780 they had fallen completely.
Description
The Pflindsberg castle was designed from the outset as a fortification and not intended for the royal household. She was an almost square building with projecting donjon on the west and a small gate tower on the east side and took the entire hilltop. On three sides of the foundation walls of the castle stood on steeply sloping ground and rock ledges, on the fourth side it protected a ditch, across which a bridge to the gate tower. The Keep on the enemy side originally had the shape of an isosceles triangle with side length 12 m and 2 m wall thickness, where it became an edge against the direction of attack. During the renovation in 1574, when the tower only served as a prison, which is about 60 degrees pointed edge was cut and replaced by a short, fourth side. The main building of the castle was behind the keep and consisted of two narrow buildings in the north and south. Together with keep and gate tower they enclosed an oblong courtyard.
After the original, strategic function as a bulwark and a border fortress lost more and more important, it led only by the most necessary repairs to the building. All wall guides, except the West line of the keep were prepared for reorganization measures always in the previous form.
Whether the fortress was used as a residence of the caregiver and the rule Pflindsberg the saline during their first time, is unclear because of their very abseitigen location and the small estates of only three einmahdigen meadows. This is conceivable, at least to 1395, before the official seat of Saline administration was moved to Aussee.
Today only very sparse remains of walls of the keep, the northern palace and a fortification wall are preserved from the castle. In the southern building and the gate tower only very little remains of walls are identifiable. In the northeast of the ruins ruins are upstream, which are probably the remains of a Vorwerkes. On the east side of the former fortress, a rock-cut staircase has received. It leads to the so -called " Pflindsberger herb garden " at the foot of the steep castle hill.
Current usage
Since 1972, the " castle club Pflindsberg " seeks to preserve the ruins. In 2000, the Austrian Federal Forests erected on the site of the former castle, a lookout tower. In 2005, the castle ruins Pflindsberg was declared a National Monument.
Saga
According to legend, drives a black rider on a black horse in the night to mischief around the castle ruins. It is to concern the mind of a criminal, who died in the tower of the castle.