Kienburg Castle

The castle is first mentioned in a document around 1184, in which a Chuno de Chienburch appears. Kuno was probably a vassal of the Counts of Lechsgemünd, who owned property around Matrei and had granted him Kienburg as a fief. The construction of the castle likely took place in the second half of the 12th century.

The small castle had no representative functions but was strategically very valuable. This important position gained great significance in the 13th century during the conflicts between the Counts of Görz and the Archdiocese of Salzburg. In the Peace of Lieserhofen, agreed upon in 1252, it was stipulated that Kienburg, which then belonged to Otto and Weriand of Matrei, would come under the suzerainty of Salzburg. However, the fighting soon flared up again. It was not until 1285 that Ulrich and Heinrich renounced their alleged ownership rights. In 1292, Count Albert of Görz also gave up his claims. Salzburg usually had the castle administered by burgraves, including Pilgrim of Matrei (1338) and Jakob of Rotenstein (1379).

When, at the beginning of the 15th century, the burgraves of Lienz acted as financiers for the Archbishops of Salzburg, Kienburg was handed over to them as a pledge in 1404. Hugo, Burgrave of Lienz, did not want to return it and had to be forced to do so by a court ruling in 1439. Afterwards, it was again administered by appointed stewards of Salzburg. The last burgrave, Christof von Kienburg, moved out of the building in 1513.