Raabs Castle

Raabs Castle, still inhabited today, utilizes an elongated rocky spur on the southern right bank of the German Thaya, opposite the confluence of the Moravian Thaya flowing from north to south. Access to the spur, which mostly drops vertically, is only possible from the west, from the Oberndorf district. Due to the topography, an elongated castle complex was consequently built, approximately 200 m long with its outer outworks and a maximum of 40 m wide. Against the western access side, there are primarily corresponding outer bailey and zwinger systems; the actual, 107 m long, up to 37 m wide main castle is situated in a protected location at the eastern end of the spur. Due to construction activities over several centuries, an unusually strongly structured, multi-phase castle complex was ultimately created, taking strong consideration of the topographical conditions.

According to A. Klaar, the oldest parts of the building, the so-called "Feste Haus" (Strong House), and the Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Clement are only recognizable in their ground plan or currently as plastered structures.

At least in the lower areas, the wall structure of the access-side 5-sided keep shows strictly layered rubble masonry of partly unworked stones and remnants of joint pointing, which can be dated to the mid-12th century. From a height of approx. 10 m, the masonry recedes, and the keep forms a 7-sided ground plan, taking into account the wedge-shaped base, whose masonry is to be placed in the second half of the 13th century.

The construction of the castle chapel suggests an original two-story layout, as the basement, recently used as a wine cellar, is illuminated by a heavily altered primary round-arched window. In the chapel's south wall, a Romanesque funnel window was uncovered by the previous owner W. Enk at the height of the current western gallery, whose masonry, like that of the primary round-arched window in the apse, is structured by joint pointing and clearly dates the building to the 12th century.

On the southern enceinte, in a cellar east of the keep and in the plinth area of the chapel, exposed masonry from the first half of the 12th century can be seen in places. The strictly layered, hammer-dressed rubble masonry can be well dated to that period due to its small-scale nature, which is only zonally disturbed by inserted large ashlar blocks, and its still strongly tectonic layering. The plinth zone is often formed by "opus spicatum"-like structures.

According to the findings, the existence of an advanced, wedge-shaped keep-like tower, a component previously considered possible only in the 13th century, is already proven here for the 12th century. The early high standard of development of the castle is plausibly explained by its foundation as a local, representatively equipped center of power for the Counts of Raabs.

The Renaissance gate to the main castle also marks the location of the Romanesque gatehouse, which can be reconstructed as a strongly recessed flank gate near the tower. The original corner situation of the 12th century is still visible on the gate wall, whose recently exposed masonry with joint pointing shows similar structures to those at the base of the keep and the already described building findings of the 12th century. The neatly executed corner bond is partly formed by upright orthostats.

Prompted by individual finds unearthed during "treasure digs" by the previous owner W. Enk in the approximately 6 x 12 m cellar beneath the so-called "Great Knights' Hall," archaeological excavations (1995, 1999, and 2001) were initiated in this area. The results of the excavation conducted by S. Felgenhauer-Schmiedt are now as follows: A dry-laid inner wall is placed against a 1.12 m thick rubble stone wall with mortar binding running from west to east. To the west, the mortar wall forms a beveled end, presumably the continuation of the wall towards the southwest. To the east, a corner situation is still visible within the cellar. The younger enceinte, dating from the 14th century, is placed directly against the south front of this wall. Inside, numerous occupation horizons, mostly of screed and wooden planks, run against the older mortar wall. According to the finds and findings, an 11th-century settlement can be inferred on the Raabs castle hill. The discovered structural remains prove an early stone building, which is to be expected in other areas of the present castle, and stratigraphically dates to around 1050.

The numerous and complex findings from the first half of the 12th century allow for the reconstruction of an already highly structured and advanced castle complex – consistent with its first mention around 1100 – which integrated and enclosed the older 11th-century structures within a continuous enceinte in the early 12th century.

The "Feste Haus" (Strong House), a building component previously considered among the oldest in the literature, must, according to the latest findings, be placed in the 13th century. Massive alterations and extensions in the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance ultimately formed today's multi-part "castle-palace," whose multi-story, peripheral wings surround two courtyards and integrate the aforementioned older building components.

The castle is strongly characterized by the unifying construction of the 16th century, as well as by the abundance of period-specific architectural details and, above all, by younger alterations from the 17th century.

The "Ochsenturm" (Ox Tower), belonging to the late Gothic expansion and projecting from the southern enceinte, is a semicircular battery tower with a diameter of 17 m. On the north front is the Renaissance-era well house, whose well shaft extends to the valley floor. The structures located to the west have the so-called "Hungerturm" (Hunger Tower) and another round tower in the outer bailey area as their late medieval core, but these are heavily reshaped by alterations from the 16th and 17th centuries. The "Hungerturm," together with another round tower demolished in the 18th century, formed a gate system that was located in front of the main castle gate.

Of particular note is the first forecourt below the "Tournament Garden," known as the "Umkehr" (Turnaround), with open arcades on the valley side from the Renaissance. The neck ditch between the outer bailey and the main castle is spanned by a modern stone bridge. The 16th-century zwinger wall, partly built into the steep slope, with semicircular shell turrets, encloses the flanks of the neck ditch and parts of the main castle. Recent building investigations initiated by R. Kuttig, based on corresponding findings, allow for the reconstruction of a massive 13th-century building above the "Umkehr" area. The platform referred to as "Bastei" (Bastion) is separated from the hinterland by a neck ditch carved out of the rock and connected to the grounds of the former "Schlossgärtnerei" (Castle Nursery) by an aqueduct-like arch structure. Presumably, the "Burggrafenburg" (Burgrave's Castle) was located in this area, in front of the main castle, built here after the dominion was taken over by the sovereign. On the 13th-century foundations, an outwork was built at the latest during the 16th-century fortification, which is also visible on the engraving by G. M. Vischer (1672).