Jordan Castle

The former Jordan Castle above Bludesch has an impressive, yet short history. In 1425, Hans Harnasch zue Bludäsch sold a "Weingarten Jordan" (Jordan vineyard) along with two meadows to the provostry of St. Gerold. Around 1565, Christof Brockh from Feldkirch acquired the Jordan estate and vineyard. In 1578, Märk Gabriel, sub-bailiff, and Georg (Jerg) Glarner, Amann zu Blumenegg, allowed "the master builder and city official Christof Brockh in Feldkirch to build a small house with a parlor and adjoining small room, along with a small cellar, on the vineyard and meadow ground located above Bludesch, equipped with a wine press and storage, called Jordan." He was only allowed to take "Underschlauf" - i.e., accommodation for the purpose of viticulture work - with his servants in spring and autumn, and "if necessary, in times of plague, retreat there with his household." Thus, the name "Brockhenhof" became common; he died there on October 17, 1629, at the age of 67.

Around 1637, Georg Ludwig von Lindenspeur acquired the residence, enlarged the property through additional purchases, and in 1653 erected a spacious and distinguished palace, which he inhabited until his death in 1673. Lindenspeur bequeathed the castle to the Imperial Abbey of Weingarten, and his considerable cash assets to a charity for the poor. Subsequently, Jordan Castle was probably often used by Weingarten as a kind of recreational residence. After the fire at Blumenegg Castle in 1774 - which was not rebuilt - the Weingarten governors resided at Jordan, unless the Thüringen official residence served that purpose. In 1802, Jordan Castle, along with Blumenegg, went to Orange-Nassau, in 1804 by purchase to Austria, and in 1806 to Bavaria. By 1814, Jordan Castle again belonged to Austria. This building, erected in 1653, was probably dilapidated and would have required renovation; the frequent change of ownership in a short time probably prevented this. It is no longer listed in the building and rustic cadastre of the Bludesch tax district in 1811. The Bludesch pastor Häusle noted in his chronicle in 1835: "Jordan Castle survived until 1808, when it was sold for a small price and has since mourned as a ruin." The sale mentioned as 1808 never took place. The actual sale occurred in the auction of July 28, 1842. In the announcement, among other properties of the former dominion, it is also listed: "4. The farmhouse on the Jordan, including stable and wine press, with the walls of an unfinished two-story house." This auction was re-advertised for December 12, 1843, after no bid could be awarded on the first occasion.

For this (second) auction, the neighboring communities of Ludesch, Raggal, Sonntag, Thüringen, and Thüringerberg had joined forces to acquire the properties together. The bid of these communities, amounting to 43,020 fl., was ultimately outbid by Cesare Clerici from Milan with the sum of 45,100 fl. In 1847, Clerici sold the entire property to the brothers Leopold, Josef, and Gallus Moosbrugger in Schnepfau, or Thüringen. However, it must be doubted whether the tradition from Thüringen is true, according to which "the Moosbruggers" removed the still usable components, especially ceilings and roof timbers, and, according to today's terms, used or sold them "from the demolition." Nevertheless, in 1945, the square holes or inlets for the strong beams and supports in the masonry were clearly visible. The building itself subsequently changed hands several times. The "Brockenhof" including the ruin and agriculture was sold to Johann Metzler in 1898; he sold the ruin in 1913 to Gustav Ernst Schmid from Eger/Bohemia; in 1935, the Brockenhof - without the ruin - was acquired by Gabriel Dobler and has been managed by him to this day. In 2008, the Dobler family also purchased the decaying Jordan ruin.