Mauterndorf Castle

Burg Mauterndorf is a castle in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Mautendorf Castle is built on the site of an old Roman fort that dates to 326 AD or earlier. The fort protected the Roman mountain road from Teurnia to the Radstädter Tauern Pass and Iuvavum (Salzburg) and served as residence for the Roman provincial administrator. The original fort was destroyed during the Great Migration.

A castle built on the site in later years was funded and supported by a toll (maut) collection system for the nearby road. Evidence for this comes from a deed gift by Emperor Henry II in the year 1002. "Dorf" is a German suffix for village or settlement. The toll system supported the castle and village until 1803 when the toll collection was abandoned during the Napoleonic wars. When the castle came into the possession of Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach during the 15th century it was extended to reach the form it still has today.

Hermann Epenstein, a Christian of Jewish descent, who was an army surgeon in Berlin purchased a minor title through service and donation to the Crown and became Hermann, Ritter von Epenstein. In 1894 he purchased Burg Mauterndorf and refurbished and restored the castle for use as a residence. The property would later pass to his widow and then to Hermann Göring, his stepson, on his widow's death in 1939. Göring never was formally the owner of the castle which was decided in a yearlong lawsuit between Epensteins heirs and the state of Germany. Göring had spent his childhood here as Epenstein's guest. Epenstein had been the attending physician to Göring's mother and her lover as well as godfather and mentor to young Herman Göring.

Herman Göring tried to flee to this castle at the end of World War II. He surrendered to the US Army at Bruck because he was afraid of the Red Army proceeding through the Mur valley.

Currently the castle is owned by the state of Salzburg and has been a museum since 2003. A number of other enterprises share the premises including a noted local restaurant and catering service. Other uses have been as a meeting place for scientific conferences of international standing and as venue for various cultural events.

The Lungau Regional Museum opened in May 2007 under the guidance of curator Helga Gappmayer. The museum has undergone several stages of construction to achieve its theme of "Tradition with a new look".