Burgruine Aggstein is a castle in Lower Austria, Austria. The ruins Aggstein is the remnant of a castle on the right bank of the Danube in the Wachau , the origins in the 12th Jahrhundert zurückgehen. Century decline.
Presumably, the castle was the beginning of the 12th Century by Manegold III. of Acchispach (Aggsbach) built. In 1181 she came into the possession of the Kuenringer Aggsbach-Gansbach. When the uprising under Kuenringer Hadmar III. and his vassals against Duke Friedrich II was besieged and conquered it 1230/31. In the disputes over the succession of Frederick II, who "herrscherlosen time," changed the Kuenringer few times the pages. So it happened that I excelled Leutold Kuenring of the revolt of the Austrian nobility against Duke Albrecht I.. Subsequently, the castle was besieged and conquered in turn 1295/96. The last Kuenringer Leutold II had the castle from 1348 to 1355th She then fell into disrepair.
Duke Albrecht V in 1429 withdrew the Ministerialengeschlecht the maize Auer, the castle and they invested his chamberlain (Georg) Jörg check from the forest. He pledged to rebuild the ruined castle to secure the Danube. Check in 1438 was the toll of forest law for ships traveling upriver. In return, he had to preserve the tows on which the ships were moved upstream to ensure. In addition he built on the riverbank a toll house that now serves as a forester. Over time, he was a robber baron, as he robbed the ships on the Danube. Hence his name 'terror Forest ", which should have been intended for him because of his cruelty of the population. 1463, the castle of a robber baron another later, Georg von Stain was besieged. He defeated check from the forest and took over the castle as a pledge, as the Duke of money debts to have had with him. In 1476 he was expelled by Ulrich Freiherr Graveneck that dominated in the years 1476-1477 the castle, until he was forced to surrender the castle.
Duke Leopold III took over in 1477. The castle itself and it occupied with tenants and carers in order to stop the looting. 1529, the castle was burned down by a group of Turks at the first Turkish siege of Vienna. It was again established and provided with loopholes for defense with the help of artillery.
1606 Anna Baroness acquired from Polheim and Parz, widow of the last tenant, the castle. After her death, the castle was neglected. In 1685 she went to the castle Schönbühel the property of Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg. Ludwig Josef Gregor von Starhemberg the possessions sold in 1819 to Count Franz von Beroldingen. In possession of Beroldingen she remained until 1930, was sold to the estate along with the ruins Schönbühel Aggstein to Count Oswald von Seilern Aspang.
Hadmar III. Kuenring of the castle to have considered impregnable. Indeed, there is also no evidence that the castle was never stormed. Probably led other measures, such as starvation, the conquest of the Castle.
Today, the ruins of about 55,000 visitors annually Aggstein with one of the most visited tourist attractions of Lower Austria.
