Thurnhof Castle

Thurnhof Castle is a listed Renaissance building near Zweinitz, a village in the municipality of Weitensfeld in the Gurktal valley in Carinthia. It acquired its current appearance in the second half of the 16th century.

A manor at this location was first mentioned in a document in 1140 as Pregrat (later Prägrad). The term means "area in front of the castle", so it apparently referred to an estate in front of the castle itself, which might have borne the name Thurnhof. Meinhalm de Praegrat, mentioned in the document of March 25, 1140, was a ministerialis of the Diocese of Gurk, entrusted with managing the extensive diocesan property in this region. Thurnhof, first mentioned at the beginning of the 13th century, was also a Gurk fief. In the years 1246 and 1269, an Engelbert de Turris (tower) was mentioned in documents. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the estate was owned by the Hofman von Wald family.

The current castle was built in the 16th century and acquired its present form in the second half of the 16th century. Around 1550, Veit Jochner, the Gurk cathedral chapter lawyer, resided here and initiated the expansion of the estate. Around 1700, the Egger family took over the property and had the interior of the castle renovated. In 1899, Karl Funder acquired the property, and it remained in his family until 1989. Since then, the castle has belonged to the Treppo family.