Landeck Castle

The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1296. It was built by Meinhard II of Görz for his administration and the court. The castle was never the seat of a ruler, but merely served as a court and tax authority office.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the castle was mostly entrusted to caretakers. Major construction activities on the complex are documented in the years 1300 and 1339. Shortly before Margaret Maultasch promised to cede the County of Tyrol to the Habsburgs in 1363, she confirmed the possession of the castle to Vogt Ulrich von Matsch. In 1367, Dukes Albrecht III and Leopold III of Austria handed over Landeck Castle to Ulrich the Liechtenegger. A year later, Landeck fell into the hands of the advancing Bavarians.

However, with the Peace Treaty of Schärding in 1369, it returned to the Tyrolean sovereign. When the Appenzellers invaded western Tyrol in 1406, the castle also suffered significant damage. The appointed caretakers changed very frequently, especially in the 15th century. This constant change had a negative impact on the building's condition. Only Sigmund von Schrofenstein had extensive construction work carried out and the Zwinger (outer bailey) renewed in 1538. From 1548 to 1705, the castle was a pledged lordship of the Gienger family. Afterwards, the pledge was redeemed by Emperor Josef I, and Landeck once again became princely property. In 1769, the state leased the castle to the municipality of Landeck. A fire in 1777 caused great damage. The repair work proceeded very slowly and was limited to the bare essentials.

Before 1780, a new prison was established, but the district court moved to Ansitz Gerburg in 1797. Afterwards, Landeck Castle served as a military hospital for several years. In 1801, a thorough renovation took place, but its later use as a barracks and poorhouse was also not conducive to the building's substance. Emperor Franz Joseph gifted the complex to the court municipalities in 1852, for whom the maintenance of the castle was more of a burden.

In 1942, the city of Landeck acquired the building. Since 1973, it has primarily served as a home and exhibition venue for the local history museum. After the exterior of the castle had already been fundamentally restored between 1969 and 1972, a comprehensive interior renovation took place from 2005 to 2007.