The

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

of Schachenstein Castle (german: Burg Schachenstein) are located in the municipality of

Thörl Thörl is a market town at the foot of the Hochschwab in the Styrian district of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag. Geography Boroughs Thörl has eight boroughs: Etmißl, Fölz, Hinterberg, Lonschitz, Oisching, Palbersdorf, St. Ilgen, and Thörl. Neighborin ...

, above the village not far from the Thörlbach stream and north of

Bruck an der Mur Bruck an der Mur is a city of some 13,500 people located in the district Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, in the Austrian state of Styria. It is located at the confluence of the Mur and Mürz Rivers. Its manufacturing includes metal products and paper. Br ...

in the

Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Schachenstein Castle was the last

hill castle A hill castle or mountain castle is a castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain. It is a term derived from the German ''Höhenburg'' used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location. Hill castles ...

to be built in the Styria. Its primary role was as a fortified, lordly residence, thus no subjects were in service to the castle captains. The castle was never besieged, despite serious unrest such as the Baumkircher feud and Turkish raids.

Location

The site of castle was an outstanding choice: some 640

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

on rocks forming the southern

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back ...

of the ''Schöckelberg''. It is situated on an easily defended constriction of the road from Einodgräben to

Mariazell Mariazell (Central Bavarian: ''Mariazöö'') is an Austrian city in the southeastern state of Styria. Well known for being a hub of winter sports and a pilgrimage destination, it is located north of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the valle ...

, which was originally also guarded by a fortified

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

way.

Purpose

The main purpose of the fortification was as a home and summer residence of the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

s of

St. Lambrecht's Abbey St. Lambert's Abbey (german: Stift St. Lambrecht) is a Benedictine Abbey in the village of Sankt Lambrecht in the Styrian ''Grebenzen'' nature reserve in Austria. The monastery is located above sea level. The monastery complex and its gardens ...

as evinced by a large number of historic records. Subsequently, it was used to seal off the Mariazell road and protect the population of the Aflenz valley – who were looked after by the abbey – as well as providing a refuge during Turkish and Hungarian invasions.

History

The castle was built in 1464 by

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

John II Schachner of Lambrecht as a summer residence and lordly manor. It was extended in 1630 and 1740. From the end of the 18th century the castle lost its significance and fell into ruins. File:Schachen2.jpg, The ruins of Schachenstein

References

''This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia.'' Bruck an der Mur Castles in Styria {{Austria-castle-stub

Location

Purpose

History

See also

References