To be privately owned
CastleKirchberg ob der Donau-Partenstein
Partenstein Castle
Partenstein Castle, or the semi-ruin of Partenstein, is located in the eponymous district of the municipality of Kirchberg ob der Donau in the Rohrbach district of Upper Austria, above the Große Mühl river.
The Partenstein dominion belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Passau. Partenstein is first mentioned in 1262, when the Bishop of Passau, Otto von Lonsdorf, pledged the property as a dowry for Kunigunde von Goldeck with Pilgrim von Tannberg. The castle then came into the possession of the Harrachs as a pledge. They also held the castle guard. In 1338, Wernhart der Harracher was named, and from 1360 to 1372, his son Peter. Peter der Urleinsberger followed as Passau administrator until 1390. Around 1400, Partenstein was pledged to Engelbert der Gruber auf dem Stein, a brother-in-law of the Harrachs, but was redeemed by Bishop Georg von Hohenlohe in 1421. Until 1489, the dominion was likely administered by stewards (from 1443 to 1453 by Jörg dem Schenk, around 1489 by Hanns Staininger). In 1489, the castle was given to Oswald Hasler for loyal services for life as a lifetime annuity by Bishop Friedrich von Öttingen, after which it reverted to Passau.
In 1529, all episcopal administrations (Tannberg, Velden, and Partenstein) in the Mühlviertel were moved to Marsbach. The other smaller administrations were abandoned, including Partenstein. Until 1556, a basket maker lived at Partenstein. As can be seen in the engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer from 1674, Partenstein had already become a ruin by then. A tower and the part of the house connected by an archway were still poorly roofed, while other parts were already without a roof.
In 1677, an "inn in the castle" was documented in the still existing part of the castle. Around 1789, during and after the construction of a log flume and a wooden rake for the Schwarzenberg log canal running beneath the castle, an inn for the loggers ("Schlößlwirt") was established in the remains of the castle. The last Schlößlwirt, Franz Kastner, died in Aschach in 1922.
Partenstein Castle or Castle Ruin Today+
Since the building materials of the castle were used for later alterations and repairs of the still existing parts, the former building stock is now difficult to recognize. The former main tower in the east has been removed except for a short stretch of wall. The front part of the tower likely served residential purposes earlier. The long building adjoining it at an angle, perhaps an earlier economic wing, is at least old at ground level. An old cistern is still available for water supply today. The former ring wall, however, no longer exists.
In 1919, Oberösterreichische Kraftwerke AG acquired the castle and the surrounding grounds to build the Partenstein pumped-storage power plant here, which was opened in 1924. The power plant's operations manager, Mr. Schlögl, set up a small local history museum in the castle in 1957. Today, the complex is in private ownership and can no longer be visited.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Partenstein.jpg
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 48.4320, 13.9851