Aggstein Castle

Aggstein Castle (German: Burgruine Aggstein, lit. "castle ruins of Aggstein") is a ruined castle on the right bank of the Danube in Wachau, Austria. The castle dates to the 12th century. Aggstein Castle is 480 metres (1,570 ft) above sea level. The castle ruins are situated at about 300 metres (980 ft) above the right bank of the Danube on an outcrop running from east to west. It is some 150 metres (490 ft) long and has a rock structure at both ends. The ruins are located within the municipality of Schönbühel-Aggsbach in the Melk District of Lower Austria.

The castle was probably built at the beginning of the 12th century by Manegold III of Acchispach (Aggsbach). In 1181, it came into the possession of the Kuenring family of Aggsbach-Gansbach. It was besieged and conquered in 1230/31 during the uprising led by Hadmar III and his vassals against Duke Frederick II of Austria. In the disputes over the succession of Frederick II, or herrscherlosen Zeit (the "time without a ruler"), the Kuenrings switched sides a few times. Thus Leutold Kuenring outmanoeuvered the Austrian nobility in their revolt against Duke Albert: subsequently, the castle was besieged and conquered in turn in 1295/96. The last Kuenring, Leutold II, held the castle from 1348 to 1355. After that it fell into disrepair. 

In 1429, Duke Albert V withdrew the castle from Maissauer's stewardship, and assigned it to his chamberlain, Jörg (Georg) Scheck von Wald. Albrecht commissioned him to rebuild the ruined castle to secure the passage of ships on the Danube. In 1438 Scheck von Wald received the right to tolls for ships travelling upriver. In return, he had to maintain the towpaths by which the barges were drawn upstream. In addition he built a toll house on the riverbank that now serves as a forestry house. Over time, he became a robber baron, raiding the ships on the Danube. Hence his nickname, "Schreckenwald", (wordplay on his family name, Scheck von Wald, meaning "Terror Forest"), which is said to have been given to him because of his cruelty towards the population. In 1463 the castle was besieged again by another robber baron, Georg von Stain. He defeated Scheck von Wald and took over the castle as collateral, since the Duke was said to owe him money. In 1476 von Stain was expelled by Ulrich Freiherr von Graveneck who ruled the castle from 1476–77, until he, too, was forced to surrender it.

In 1477, Duke Leopold III acquired the castle and occupied it with tenants and caretakers in order to stop the raids. In 1529, the castle was razed by a group of Turks at the first Turkish siege of Vienna. Again it was rebuilt and equipped with embrasures for artillery pieces. In 1606 Anna Freiin von Polheim und Parz, the widow of the last tenant, acquired the castle. After her death, the castle was seriously neglected. In 1685, it was transferred to Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, along with Schloss Schönbühel. Ludwig Josef Gregor von Starhemberg sold the properties to Count Franz von Beroldingen in 1819. It remained in von Beroldingen's possession until 1930, when the Schönbühel estate, along with the ruins of Aggstein Castle, was sold to Count Oswald von Seilern Aspang. It is said that Hadmar III had considered the castle impregnable. In fact there is no evidence that the castle was ever stormed directly by force. Only other measures, such as starvation from siege, led to the conquest of the castle. Source: Wikipedia

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