Lichtentann Castle

The castle ruin Lichtentann is located in the municipality of Henndorf am Wallersee in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria.

The castle ruin (736 m) is located east of Henndorf near the ascent to the "Heimkehrerkreuz" and the Große Plaike (1031 m). The path is part of the "Ice Age Circular Trail".

Lichtentann Castle, as well as Altentann Castle (former moated castle Altentann), also located in the present-day municipality of Henndorf, were built by the Lords of Tann, one of the most important noble families of Salzburg in the Middle Ages.

The Lords of Tann, originating from Muntigl near Bergheim, were ministerials (vassals, noble officials) of the Archbishops of Salzburg. Their task was to acquire the area around Lake Wallersee for Salzburg. The "County of Henndorf" was originally a fief of the Bavarian Dukes. In the turbulent period of the Interregnum (1254–1273), Eckhart VI. von Tann (approx. 1225–1304) began building Lichtentann Castle without the Archbishop's permission. In 1272, he had to hand over the castle to Archbishop Friedrich II. von Walchen for five years. Although his son Eckhart VII. von Tann had to commit to stopping further expansion of Lichtentann (1314), the castle complex was completed. When Niklas and Eckhart X. von Tann divided their possessions, the "County of Henndorf" gave rise to the courts of Lichtentann - Köstendorf and Altentann - Seekirchen. Both possessed high justice (death penalty) with the common execution site Eggerberg.

After the death of Eckhart XI. (the son of Niklas von Tann), Archbishop Ortolf von Weißenbeck, supported by a feudal confession from 1302, confiscated Lichtentann Castle, the court of Köstendorf, and a large part of the Tann possessions as "escheated fiefs". Eckhart X. of Altentann received as compensation the important Tetelham Castle near Waging am See, as well as Lichtentann Castle and the court of Köstendorf for life. After the death of Eckhart X., Archbishop Ortolf (1355) wanted to access his estates. The deceased's son, Eckhart XII. von Tann, allied himself with Duke Stefan II. of Lower Bavaria. Twenty Salzburg and Bavarian nobles supported the Tann in the great "Tann Feud" against the Archbishop. According to an arbitration award by Duke Rudolf IV. of Austria, Eckhart XII. had to cede the castles and courts of Altentann and Lichtentann to the Archbishop. After a settlement with Archbishop Pilgrim II. von Puchheim, he once again received Altentann Castle and the court as a fief, but in 1369 he had to definitively renounce Lichtentann and the court of Köstendorf. After the death of Eckhart XII., Archbishop Pilgrim II. confiscated all Tann possessions (1391).

The Tann castles became the seat of caretakers (archiepiscopal officials) who administered the courts of Lichtentann-Köstendorf and Altentann-Seekirchen. In 1607, the Lichtentann caretaking and the Köstendorf court were merged with the Altentann caretaking. In 1612, the Neumarkt land registry office was also included. This created the Neumarkt caretaking court, which was divided into the offices of Neumarkt, Henndorf, and Seekirchen. After the fire at Altentann Castle (1680), the caretaker moved to a separate courthouse in Neumarkt (1699, today's district court).

The castles were left to decay and served as sources for building materials. From 1825, both castles were already in the private possession of the Moser brewing family.