Kreuzen

Today's view
Today's view

Around 900, Kreuzen Castle was allegedly built as a fortified settlement. The first written mention was of the first owner in

 

1125 as Pilgrim de Cruce.

 

1282 the castle was bestowed as a fief of the provincial princely family of Volkenstorf, who expanded it to a double castle. With the death of the last member of the family in

 

1482 it became the property of the brothers Siegmund and Heinrich Prüschenk (later the Counts of Hardegg).

 

1518 Adam von Schweinsböck acquired the front castle, which he sold after 10 years to Helfrich von Meggau, the provincial governor of Enz (in German “ob der Enns”).

 

1528 Count Julius Hardegg moved into the rear castle. 1537 the rear part of the castle became the property of the Meggau family. The son, Ferdinand Helfrich von Meggau (in 1582-1585 also the provincial governor) assumed the heritage.

 

1594 during the time of the Turkish threat, Kreuzen Castle was one of the defensive castles of the Machland area and provided refuge for its residents. 1644 Maria Anna von Meggau, whose first husband was Caspar von Starhemberg, inherited the county from her father, Count Leonhard von Meggau. By her second marriage, Kreuzen Castle became the property of Carl Gottfried von Bräuner.

 

1665 Carl Gottfried sold his property to his brother-in-law, Count Siegmund Ludwig of Dietrichstein.

 

 

 

Kreuzen Castle long ago
Kreuzen Castle long ago

Around 1701 the estate passed to the counts of Cavriani. 1716 Count Johann Ludwig Cavriani lived in the castle, then from

 

1754 it was occupied by the Salburg family. 1776 Count Rudolf Salburg had a part of the rear castle demolished.

 

1843 the rest of the rear castle was demolished to make space for the cold water swimming pool. 1788 only one of the originally two castle chapels remained. During the French Wars, the upper castle was purchased in1817 by the mayor of Hainburg, Michael Fink, and in1823 it passed to the Dukes of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. 1876 part of the complex passed by marriage to the English Queen Victoria, who gave it to Duke Ernst. 1880 a large part of the castle was destroyed by fire. 1965 as a ruin, it was transferred to the ownership of the mayor of Kreuzen, Ferdinand Riegler (Starzhofer), who in1974 passed it on to the Tourismusverband Bad Kreuzen.


Back side of the castle
Back side of the castle

Points of interest

 

Even today, the massive double castle walls with the tower gate have been preserved together with the adjacent tract with interesting elements for shooting and pouring oil, as well as an arcade tract. The accessible bergfried tower offers a spectacular circular view of the Mühlviertel and the Alps.

 

 

Castle with "Schatz.Kammer"
Castle with "Schatz.Kammer"

Opening times

 

Opening times of the keep during the opening hours of the castle pub:

 

every day 11:00 – 21:00, closed on Mondays

 

 



LEGEND

In 1528 the Kreuzen castle belonged to two brothers named Schweinsböck. At that time, the doctrine of Martin Luther revolted in the German lands religious life and divided the people into two groups. The split between the followers of the old Catholic faith and the new Protestant religion not only divided the nobility, the citizens and landowners, but also families. Of the brothers Schweinsböck, as the legend tells, one of the followers was the Catholic and the other of the Lutheran faith. Whether this was a religious conflict or a dispute over inheritance and property rights, no one knows today. Anyway, they argued so violently that their quarrel culminated in a duel. Both died. For the duel it should have come exactly at the place, where today the mighty stone cross is.

 

Duels were banned by the church, which is why the Catholic Schweinsböck was denied a burial in consecrated ground. It is said, that he is buried twelve paces from the stone cross. A small granite stone with an iron cross, which is located in the same garden, allegedly refers to his grave.