Burgruine Ortenburg
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| Burgruine Ortenburg | |
|---|---|
| Baldramsdorf,Carinthia, Austria | |
 | |
| Type | hill castle |
| Height | 740 m (2,430 ft) |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Condition | ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | c. 1070-96 |
| Built by | Counts of Ortenburg |
Ortenburg Castleis a ruined mediaeval castle located inBaldramsdorf,in theAustrianstate ofCarinthia.It is located on the northern slope of Mt. Goldeck, part of theGailtal Alps,above theDravavalley at a height of 740 m (2,430 ft).
History
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The construction of the fortress was begun in the late 11th century by one noble Adalbert fromBavaria,aministerialisof theBishops of Freising,who then held large possessions in the Upper CarinthianLurngauaround the formerRomancity ofTeurnia.Adalbert's son Otto appeared as aCount of Ortenburgin 1141. First mentioned in an 1136 deed, Ortenburg Castle served as an administrative centre of the vast Ortenburg estates, initially rivalled by the Counts of Lurn with their ancestral seat atHohenburg Castlebeyond the Drava river.
The Ortenburg inherited large estates in the Drava valley upon the extinction of the Lurn counts in 1135. In 1192 Count Otto II of Ortenburg and his brother Hermann founded the settlement ofSpittalbelow the castle. Otto II is also mentioned as a participant of theCrusade of Henry VIin 1195. In 1276 the Ortenburgs sided with CountMeinhard II of Gorizia-Tyroland the newly electedHabsburgkingRudolf I of Germanyagainst the occupying forces of KingOttokar II of Bohemia.Damaged by the1348 Friuli earthquake,however, the significance of the comital castle diminished in favour of the nearby Spittal residence.
After the extinction of the Ortenburgs upon the death of Count Frederick III in 1418, their estates were enfeoffed to CountHermann II of Celjeby his son-in-law EmperorSigismund.Upon the death of Hermann's grandson CountUlrich IIin 1456, the former Ortenburg possessions were finally seized by the ImperialHouse of Habsburg,defying inheritance claims raised by CountJohn II of Gorizia.Several clashes of arms followed when John laid siege to Ortenburg Castle; however, he was finally defeated by the forces of EmperorFrederick IIIin 1460 and had to renounce the Ortenburg heritage. During theCarinthian Peasant Revoltof 1478, one of the leading insurgents, Peter Wunderlich, was imprisoned at Ortenburg Castle, before he was executed in nearbyLendorf.
In 1524 the comital title passed toGabriel von Salamanca,a favourite of the Habsburg archdukeFerdinand I,who had a lavish new residence, present-dayPorcia Castle,built in Spittal from about 1530 onwards. Again damaged by an earthquake and a storm in 1690, Ortenburg Castle decayed. In 1976, the ruins were secured and made accessible to the public.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]46°47′37″N13°27′32″E/ 46.793743°N 13.458923°E
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