St. Gotthard Castle

St. Gotthard Castle is a small castle in the twelfth Graz district of Andritz. Its history dates back to the 12th century.

The castle is located in northern Graz, slightly west of St. Veit, at the foot of the Rannachkogel. In the neighborhood is the St. Veiter Schlössl. It is located at Andritzer Reichsstrasse 160.

The former farmstead and the church were rebuilt between 1654 and 1659 according to plans by Domenico Sciassia. In the following years, the farm was gradually expanded into a castle. A description of the castle from 1791 is known. At that time, a masonry passage connected the castle with the church. Between the castle and the manor house was a large courtyard. Both buildings were surrounded by a wall. Furthermore, a vineyard and the Bogenhof belonged to the castle.

The church and the connecting passage to the castle were demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. The church was then about 60 meters long and 12 meters high. The nave had twelve stained glass windows and was paved with stones. It was spanned by a, probably baroque, vault. The roof was covered with stones and tiles. There were two bells in the small church tower. The interior of the church included eight wooden statues and ten church chairs.

Originally, St. Gotthard Castle was a manor farm and bore the name "Weinzierl". First mentioned in 1147 as belonging to Rein Abbey, the farm was then acquired by St. Lambrecht Abbey and granted to the Stubenbergers. For the year 1319, a family of stewards named "zu Weinzürl" is documented. From the same time, a chaplain is also mentioned, although the first evidence of a separate chapel dates from 1373. Erhart Crel von Spiegelfeld, a vassal of the Stubenbergers, later had to mortgage the estate and sold it in 1386 to Lambrecht Abbey. The abbey redeemed the farm and used it as a Meierhof. In 1532, the farm was destroyed by the Turks. It was not until the end of the 16th century that the abbey had the farm rebuilt. Between 1654 and 1659, the estate and the church were rebuilt. In 1673, the property was visited by Emperor Leopold I. From this time on, the name "St. Gotthard" became common for the property, and it was gradually expanded into a castle. It served as a residence for the abbots during the grape harvest until the dissolution of Lambrecht Abbey in 1786.

After the dissolution of the abbey, the castle became the property of the Religionfonds and thus came under the rule of the state. At the beginning of the 19th century, the church and the connecting passage to the castle were demolished. In 1804, Franz Moss von Sonnegg acquired the property. In the following period, the castle frequently changed owners until it came into the possession of the Barons von Ecker-Eckhofen in 1870.