Alt-Albeck Castle

The area around Albeck came into the possession of the Counts of Friesach-Zeltschach in 898 through an imperial donation. They built a castle in the 10th century. Countess Hemma donated the dominion of Albeck to the Gurk nunnery in 1043, but it was dissolved again as early as 1070. Albeck then passed to the Archdiocese of Salzburg, which handed it over to the newly founded Diocese of Gurk. The bishops enfeoffed a family, who named themselves after Albeck, with the estate. The castle is first mentioned in documents in 1155.

Rudolfus of Albeck is mentioned from 1160 onwards. He donated a property to the Diocese of Gurk. He died in 1194. Now inheritance disputes arose between his cousin Liutold of Peggau, his brother Ulrich I of Peggau-Pfannberg, and the Diocese.

It was not until 1264 that the Diocese could finally take over the dominion. It first enfeoffed its own ministeriales with the dominion, but after 1339 predominantly appointed administrators (Pfleger), who were also allowed to exercise high jurisdiction around the middle of the 15th century. In 1651, the castle was still repaired by the administrator Ulrich von Basayo. But already in 1680, the castle was demolished and its material was used for the construction of "Schloss Albeck", 2 km away. From Old Albeck, remains of a Romanesque round tower and the Romanesque chapel, which had been used until 1870, have been preserved.