Museum
Educational Institution
CastleAlberndorf in der Riedmark-Riedegg
Riedegg Castle
Riedegg Castle is a castle complex in Upper Austria, located in the municipality of Alberndorf in the Mühlviertel, north of the municipal border with Gallneukirchen (Riedegg 1). Next to Riedegg Castle is its predecessor, Riedegg Fortress, first mentioned in 1150. This was converted into the current castle in the 17th century. Since 1936, the castle has been owned by the Missionaries of Mariannhill, who have transformed it into an educational center. An Africa Museum is also housed in the castle.
Riedegg Fortress, then owned by Erasmus von Starhemberg, was converted into a castle in 1529 with the help of Turkish prisoners. In 1593, the castle passed to Reichard von Starhemberg. According to an inscription, the castle was completely rebuilt in 1609 under Reichard after a fire, and the predecessor building was left to decay. The inscription above the entrance portal reads:
“Greetings, oh stranger. This ancestral castle, over which, due to its old wooden structure, the danger of fire constantly hovered, as if over a volcano, and which also lacked living spaces, was rebuilt – not so much in memory of himself and his descendants as for your benefit, should you choose to stay here hospitably; for adornment, he also led water in lead pipes from the neighboring hill and added other gardens to the vineyard on the castle hill: Richard Baron von Starhemberg, Lord of Wildberg, Riedeck, Lobenstein and the County of Schaunberg, Councillor to Emperor Rudolf II, in the year after the birth of the Lord 1609.”
– Quoted from Georg Grüll (1962, p. 110)
Around 1750, including the dominion of Breitenbruck, 385 subjects belonged to Riedegg. In 1933, Prince Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg sold the castle to the Englishman Slater, who sold it to the Missionaries of Mariannhill in 1936. The missionaries first established a monastery in Riedegg, then a school center including a grammar school, and an African mission museum.
The Gallneukirchen Polytechnic School is also located in the castle. In addition, there are rental apartments in the castle.
Architectural Description+
The castle is situated on a mountain that rises prominently from the surrounding plain. It is a two-winged building with an inner courtyard. The former drawbridge has been replaced by a stone bridge. The castle also features a rider's staircase and a small chapel. Next to the castle is a garden supported by a mighty wall of ashlar masonry.
Africa Museum+
Since its renovation in the 1970s, a small Africa Museum has been housed in the castle and possesses a remarkable ethnographic collection. It is the only Africa Museum in the Mühlviertel, and the history and culture of this continent are also presented.
On display are stuffed animals from Transvaal and Orange, household items of the Zulu tribe, weapons (spears, arrows, axes), jewelry (bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces), and religious artifacts.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schloss_Riedegg.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: 48.3679, 14.4039