Greifenburg Castle

The castle is first mentioned in a document in 1166. The Greifenbergers, who resided here, were ministeriales of the Carinthian dukes.

Around 1230, Duke Bernhard of Spanheim of Carinthia acquired the lordship. In 1252, Albert III of Tyrol and his son-in-law Meinhard II of Gorizia besieged the castle. In 1331, Duke Henry VI pledged the castle to his administrator Swieker von Liebenberg. The latter was allowed to use the pledge money for the expansion of the castle. In the treaty of 1335 between Count Albrecht III of Gorizia and Dukes Albrecht II and Otto the Merry, the latter received the castle, but passed it on as a fief to the Counts of Gorizia. In 1393, Duke Albrecht III of Austria dissolved the feudal bond again.

Greifenburg remained Habsburg until 1537, but was pledged several times during this period. For example, to Reinprecht von Wallsee and Michael Freiherr von Wolkenstein. In the struggle for the inheritance of the Counts of Cilli, Count Johann of Gorizia attacked and destroyed the castle in 1459. However, Jan Witovec, Emperor Frederick III's field captain, soon took all his conquests back from him. In 1480, Greifenburg fell to the Hungarians, allied with the Archbishop of Salzburg, through the betrayal of the imperial administrator Gilg. Five years later, the fortress, which had become Habsburg again, was extensively rebuilt and expanded. Emperor Ferdinand I pledged it to Gabriel Count Ortenburg in 1537.

In 1626, Christoph Brem acquired the castle, but immediately sold it to Georg Andreas Count Rosenberg. Greifenburg remained with his family for over 300 years and was administered by stewards. In the last quarter of the 17th century, the building, which had been vacant for some time, was largely renovated. At that time, the built-up area was almost doubled by building over the two castle courtyards. Changes in the historicist style occurred in the 19th century. It was then used as a courthouse.

In 1943, Heinrich Prince Orsini-Rosenberg sold the complex to Klemens Steinpichler, who was followed by several other bourgeois owners. Today, the castle is owned by Schloss Greifenburg Apparthotel AG. This company had the gatehouse with the former prison demolished during a general renovation. Ten years later, a modern building was added in place of the hook-shaped outer bailey, which was demolished in 1974.