Articles Dr. Jožko Šavli:
Castle Rence
Hofer von Lobenstein coats of arms: Argent, three chevrons 3 x embattled Gules.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The borough of this name is located in the southern part of the Vipava Valley. In the documents it appears initially as a fief of the Counts of Goerz. Its castle, mentioned already in the 13th century, was soon after destroyed. Then a second castle was built, of which we find witness in an anonymous map from 1553, printed by a certain Valvassori. At that time, Rence castle served as residence of the Hofer (Hoffer) family, a line of the well-known Bavarian family. They were holding the office of hereditary marshal of the Monastery of Regensburg and they also owned the name predicate: Hofer von Lobenstein. Their coat of arms was as follows: Argent, three chevrons 3 x embattled Gules. In 1464, Count Leonhard of Goerz († 1500) bequeathed Stephen Hofer with the seigniory of Rence.
After the death of Count Leonhard, the County of Goerz passed to the Habsburgs. This gave rise to a great contrariety on part of the Republic of Venice. Indeed, in 1508 Venice declared war against the Habsburgs. In this war, the Hofers proved themselves loyal to Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. And not only that, they also extended loans to him. Therefore, the Emperor bequeathed them with the seigniory and castle of Devin (Duino) as a hereditary pledge, which already for some decades was in their possession.
Then, the Hofers had become very devoted employees in the Emperor's service. They participated in the Turkish wars and assisted in the defence of the imperial territory against Venice. Rence was still in their possession, but the family preferred to reside in Devin. The last male descendant of the family was Mathias Hofer († 1587). He had two daughters, Clara Ursula and Ludovica. The latter married Raymond IV of Thurn Valsassina from the castle of Vipolže (Vipolzano) in the hinterland of Gorica. Archduke Carl I, ruler of Inner Austria (Carantania), appointed Raymond lord and head of the Devin seigniory. His consort owned half of the seigniory; the other half belonged to her sister. Nevertheless, his consort Ludovica died, leaving 11 children behind. Then, Raymond married her widowed sister Clara Ursula, who already lived in the castle for some time.
In this way, Raymond passed the Devin legacy into one hand. Furthermore, he adopted the family name Thurn - Hofer - Valsassina, and he added his arms to those on the Thurn - Valsassina shield. He died in 1623. His descendants negotiated with the Emperor so as to acquire the castle, which until then was in pledge.
Count Raymond IV of Thurn - Hofer - Valsassina invited the Order of Servites (Servants of Mary) to Devin. One of them, Alasio da Sommaripa, published the first Italian - Slovenian dictionary (Udine 1607). The work was dedicated to Mathias, Raymond IV' third son, to whom he expressed his thanks for instructions of the Slovenian language.(Feb. 25, 2007)
 |
| |
 |
Rascha |
|
(Raša) |
|
The impressive house of the Rassa family in the castle quarter of Gorica, built in Gothic-Venetian style, in 1475. |
|
Dr. Jožko Šavli
This ancient 15th century old residence in Gorica (Gorizia) belonged to a noble family, whose name was recorded in various forms: Rassauer de Ratscha (in German writing), Rascaveri de Rascha (in Italian writing), Rassa and similar. The name clearly shows that they originated from Raša, a locality in the upper Branica Valley, under the edge of the Karst plateau.
In 1463, a certain Wolfgang Rascha, also called Suabil de Rassa, received the patriciate of Gorica. He was a member of the tribunal that in 1474 built his house in the city. In 1494 the records mention his son Peter, and another document from 1497 mentions his sons Nicolas and Christopher, as well as his widow Angese. Christopher appears as witness in the years 1508, 1511, 1520, and was still alive in 1540. The family coat of arms depicts the following: Or, a horse rampant Gules.
|
| After 1562, Balthasar Rassa has been mentioned several times in the records. We find the name Oseph Rassa in 1550 and again in 1567. His daughter Jopanna married Sigmund Thurn in 1575... Members of this family were entrusted with various duties for the city and country of Gorica and also for the emperor. In the 19th century only a female member of the family was still alive. With her death the stock became extinct. (Feb. 20, 2007)
|
Castle Gradnik (Gradenegg)
Reconstruction of Castle Gradnik in the proximity of St. Veit - Št. Vid (Carinthia)
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Only ruins remained of castle Gradenegg (Gradnik) in the surroundings of St. Veit - Št. Vid, the ancient chief town of Carinthia (Austria). It is situated on a hill ca. 500 m above the valley of Glan (Glina) River. In 1192 AD, the records mention Lord Ruodlandus de Gradnich, the ministerial of the Duke of Carinthia, as first owner of the castle. In the 15th century the castle came into possession of the Ungnad family.
The arms of the Gradniks were as follows. Gules, an upright scythe in nature colours. The arms were mentioned already by the poet Heinrich von der Türlin in his "Aventiure crone" (ca. 1220): Iger durch bescheidenheit ein sense fuort, diu was breit (Known for his modesty, he carried a scythe with a wide blade). The effigy of a scythe appeared way back on the seal of Bertold de Gradnich in 1253. On his seal of1335, pertaining to Heinrich de Gradnich, the arms show a crest with two upright scythes.
The scythe, which depicts the Gradnik's arms, is certainly connected with the privileges of the family, as mentioned by Jakob Unrest in 1480. He says: When the Carinthian duke is sitting on the Duke's Throne, the Gradniks have the right to mow the meadows and to harvest the hay, as long as no one is buying it back. Historians are not sure of the precise meaning of this right. It was very probably an allegory of the strategic role for survival, which hay presented at that time.
The Slovenian historian Bogo Grafenauer leapt to the conclusion, that the right of the Gradniks was only an invention of the 15th century (cf. Ustolicevnje... 1952, 319). But the effigy of the scythe on the family seal from the 13th century shows that the right of the Gradniks was an honourable one.
In Slovenian, the word »gradnik« means castellan. The location of castle Gradenegg (Gradnik) in the proximity of St. Veit - Št. Vid, where the Carinthian duke was holding court, seems to confirm, that this family had the office of castellans since almost the beginning.
Pogance Manor
Manor house Pogance as portrayed by Valvasor in 1679
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today, the picturesque manor-house of Pogance (Poganiz) is no longer in existence. Once it was situated close to Gotna vas, in the surroundings of Novo mesto in southern Carniola. The manor was built in 1472 by Bartholomew II Mindorf, the trustee (1466 - 1482) of the tower in Brežice (Rann). The manor served as the family's main residence.
The Mindorfs were a chivalric family. Their name, written in German form, very probably derived from the site of Mirna, and at first it sounded like Mirendorf. Hermann Mindorf has been mentioned there in the records as the first member of this family. In 1377, in this borough, he received in fief an estate with manor house from the Patriarch of Aquileia. Later, the records quote another member of the family, George Mindorf. He was the trustee of several castles: from 1403 to 1422 he administered Lemberg near Vojnik, in 1420 Mehovo, in 1432 Ojstrica near Žalec, in 1436 Zapuže near Mirna. Between 1419 and 1430, a further member of the family, Bartholomew I, appears in the records as administrator of castle Zbelovo near Slovenske Konjice (Gonobitz).
The basic arms of the family were as follows: Or, three clover-leaves Argent. In the arms of the family, depicted by Valvasor, we also see examples with a one clover-leaf only, as well as two different arms. - In 1647, John Lenkovic bought the manor house. At that time, the records still mention Sigmund Mindorf as the last owner and very probably as the last descendant of the family.
Castle Hagenegg (Grad)
Top left: family arms Argent, a bull head Sable
Dr. Jožko Šavli
This lovely castle is found in the proximity of Železna Kapla (Bad Eisenkappel) in southern Carinthia. The two-story building, with its origins from the 17th century, once belonged to the Hagen family, who appears in Carinthia in the 14th century. Some authors support the supposition that the family originated from Franconia. But the colours of their arms show rather a Carantanian origin: Argent, a bull head Sable. In 1461, the documents quote a certain Wolfgang Hagen, who was the imperial trustee of Labot Valley. Since 1534, there was a second branch of the family based in Niederdorf (near Hörzendorf - Goricja vas), not far from St. Veit. Since 1636, the Hagen family ceased to appear in Carinthia. In 1643, the manor came into possession of Johann Andreas of Rosenberg. In 1887, the premises were acquired by the Counts of Thurn - Valsassina.
Castle Škrbin (Hornstein)
Castle Škrbin - Hornstein, painting by Marko Pernat (Pernhart) of ca. 1860.
Top left corner: first and second family arms.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The castle belonged to the Hornberg family. The members of this family were knights serving the Counts of Goerz, who owned large estates in Carinthia, too. At first, the family took up residence in castle Hornburg, located close to Klein St. Paul in the Görschitz (Krcica) Valley. Around 1430, the castle came into possession of the Greißenegg family. In the second half of the 15th century the Hornbergs moved into their newly built castle Hornstein (Škrbin), in the proximity of Kriva Vrba (Krumpendorf). Then, they also acquired castle Unterstein (later called Raumschüsselhof) on the Krappfeld (Grobniško polje). One family member was the known Adrian Hornberg, the provost of Gurk (Krka, 1549 - 1559) during the critical times of the Church. The family arms were as follows: Gules, a stag antler Or. In the 16th century they received a second coat of arms, the origin of which is unknown.
Pesniški dvor (Pößnitzhof)
Manor-house Pesniški dvor (Pößnitzhof), a lithographic print from ca. 1830
Dr. Jožko Šavli
This manor-house is located at the edge of the village Jarenina, north of Maribor, in Lower Styria (Slovenia). It dates from the 17th century and has been the seat of the Wucher family. Several owners followed until the Abbey of St. Paul in Carinthia took possession of the estate in 1832. It remained in their hands up to the end of the WW2.
However, on its place stood an older building, which was the residence of the knightly family of Pesnicar (Pesnitzer). Already around 1190 AD, the records mention a Negoy de Pezniz, and with his name the knightly family enters into history. Their first coat of arms was as follows: Argent, three superposed stones Sable (1360 AD). The family line can be traced to the end of the 15th century. In this century, several families changed the colour of their coat of arms, and in the Pezniz case they were as follows: Gules, three superposed stones Argent (1462 AD). At that time, a famous builder by the name of Ulric Pesnitzer lived in Burghausen, Bavaria, who constructed many Gothic castles and churches. But it is not known if he was related to the Pesnitzer family.
Šilentabor
It was the largest people's fortification in defence against the Turks
found above the village of Knežak in the Pivka region
|
View of the one-time Šilentabor (751 m) in the proximity of Knežak in the sourrounding of Postojna. It was the largest tabor in Slovenian territory (Valvasor 1671). |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Šilentabor is today in ruins, but it was the most powerful people's fortification in defence against the Turks. It is standing on an abrupt hill called Šilen (751 m) in the proximity of Knežak, a village at the edge of the Pivka basin (south of Postojna, Slovenia). There is a broad plateau on the summit of the hill, which provided an excellent foundation for the castle and a church, close to the ancient tabor (fort).
The construction of the building was carried out by the Raunach (Ravne) family in 1471. The tabor served as a sanctuary for 13 villages and their livestock of the Pivka basin. According to the historian Valvasor, the refuge provided 150 rooms and corn-lofts for the peasant people. However, on the field below Šilentabor, in 1635, the feudal army defeated the solvated peasant people. Since then, the tabor was abandoned and was gradually falling into decay. By that time the Turkish invasions were over. In the following period, the stones of the ancient tabor were used as building material for new constructions. The final demolition occurred during the French occupation in 1806 - 1814.
The Raunachs
|
The manor of Ravne, built on the place of the older castle. It is found in the proximity of Št. Peter, now Pivka. It was the residence of the Raunach family. |
The Raunach family, who organized the construction of Šilentabor, had their own castle in the hamlet of Ravne (Raunach), not far from the borough of Št. Peter (now Pivka). The castle was built on the place of an older structure, in 1313. The family's coat of arms was as follows: per pale Argent and Sable, two hunting horns counter-changed. The colours: sable and argent show the Carantanian origin.
The family name evidently derives from the place-name Ravne, taken over in German writing from the 5th case »v Ravnah« (in Ravne). On the Italian side, historians connect the name Raunach to the Ravignani family from Toscana, who in the period of combat between the Ghibellines (Emperor's faction) and Guelphs (Pope's faction) should have found shelter in Ravne. Anyway, there are no records to verify this.
Henry IV, Count of Goerz (between 1385 - 1454) gave in pawn to Martin Raunach the seigniory of Schwarzenegg. Its castle was found above the village of Podgrad near Vreme. The second arms of the family evidently refers to this seigniory: Argent, an annulet Gules.
Several members of the family were holding important positions in the then administration: Jakob was captain in Pazin (1474), Bernard was vicedomus of Carniola (1519), Balthasar was provost in Salzburg (1580), his nephew Andrej was bishop of Picen, another nephew was captain in Trieste...
|
| In the 16th century, their castle in Ravne fell into decay and the family decided to replace it with a new manor. In the following century the manor was purchased by the Leo family and thereafter it came into possession of the Hohenwarts. In 1684, the Emperor elevated Janez Raunach to the rank of baron. His daughter Catherina married John Vincenc Coronini, captain of Trieste. She was the last descendant of the Raunach family. |
Castle Orehek
Its name did not derive from the word »nut« (oreh)
Regretfuly, today, the castle is in a bad state of decay.
Castle Orehek (Nußdorf)
as it is presented by Valvasor in his Topographia Ducatus Carnioliae Modernae 1679
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The castle is found above the village Orehek, close to the borough of Prestranek in the Pivka region (Slovenia). In the Middle Ages, once again, as it happened so many times in the past, German written documents wrongly translated the name as Nußdorf (village of nuts), because the word oreh really means nut in Slovenian (Nuß, in German). Nevertheless, the castle's position high above the plains clearly shows, that the name does not derive from nuts but from vrh (pron. v'rh) meaning a peak, a summit. In dialectal Slovenian the development was as follows: u'rh > uorh > orh > oreh, which together with the common ending of a place -ek formed Orehek. In Slovenia, there are several »nut« places to be found.
There are no records to testify about the first fortification of this place. The first structure could have been a tower or a castle. But in 1245, three family members, who where residing there at the time, are known to us: Rudolf, Harvic and Otto. The well-known historian Valvasor quotes, that the members of this family soon after became extinct. It is true, there are no further documents to be found about this family, and the castle or tower fell into decay.
Castle Orehek today.
Above on the left: the arms of the family Nußdorf (Salzburg), who very probably are descendants of the Orehek family.
Anyway, in the region of Salzburg, a family by the name of Nußdorf appears in the records after 1300 AD. It is said, that this family was one of the oldest in the land. The presence of this family falls into the period, when the Orehek family stopped to exist. I would say, it is quite possible, that the Oreheks transferred their seat to Salzburg.
The data, which should have mentioned the Nußdorfs of Salzburg in 737 AD and their castle close to Michelbeuern, destroyed in 927 AD, could not be proven. The name Orehek, which in Slovenian can be explained from its topographic position, and the wrongly translated German name, rather shows that they were of Slovenian origin. Another identification is the arms of the Nußdorf family (Salzburg): Sable, a rampant unicorn argent. This coat of arms shows the Carantanian colours: Black (sable) and White (argent), whereas the Bavarian colours were as follows: in the ducal arms: Azure and White, and in the arms usually Red and White.
I think, the roots of this family go back to Carantania. But there is also the possibility, that the Orehek family was a branch of the Nußdorf family of Salzburg. The German name Nußdorf could also have been wrongly translated into the Slovenian Orehek. Nevertheless, the topographic position of the castle is connected with the original name Vrh - from which Oreh arose. Not the German family name, but only the Slovenian name coincides with the topographic location of castle Orehek.
The arms of the families Schwarzenstein and Mautner,
which the Nußdorfs (Salzburg) inherited before they became extinct in 1633.
In 1602, Emperor Rudolf II gave permission to Hans Christoph of Nußdorf to associate on his shield the arms of Hans Wolf of Schwarzenstein, his brother-in-law: Argent, six stones (1, 2, 3) Sable, together with the arms of the Mautner family: Gules, a bend of three roses Argent in the middle Or, which was already in possession of the Schwarzensteins'. In 1633, the Nußdorf family of the Salzburg land died out.
In 1584, Count Ahatius Thurn had a new castle built in Orehek. Already at the beginning of the following century it came into possession of Rafael Coraduzzi, chancellor of the government of Inner Austria (Carantania) in Graz. In the middle of the same century, the ownership changed to the Rossetti family. This family originated from Ferrara and withdrew to Bergamo, in 1367. John Anton Rossetti († 1670) was the first known descendant in Inner Austria.
In 1809, the castle was purchased by the Dolenz family, who originated from the nearby village Razdrto. It remained in their possession until 1948, when it was confiscated by the Communist regime. Now, the building is in a bad condition and in need for restoration. Because of its beautiful location, it became an attraction to many people. A linden-tree, over 400 years old, is growing in the proximity. The nature around the village and the air in summer are very pleasant.
Aichelburg (Stari grad)
The one-time Aichelburg castle with the arms of the Aichelburgs, found in the Zila Valley - Gailtal (Valvasor, 1688).
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Castle Aichelburg, or Stari grad in Slovenian, is only a ruin today, but still clearly visible in the romantic Zila - Gail Valley, in Carinthia (Austria). The records mention it for the first time in 1307 as the property of Henry, Count of Goerz. The name of the castle has been mentioned again in 1432, very probably in connection with its administrator, who resided there. Although, in ca. 1460 the castle had been destroyed by Emperor Frederic III, its reconstruction began already in ca. 1480. Then, it came into the possession of Frederic III' son and follower, Emperor Maximillian I.
In 1500, Emperor Maximilian I, for a debt repayment, bestowed the castle to Christoph Viertaller, a townsman of Graz. In 1507, a patent of nobility also was granted to him. Then, Christoph Viertaller adopted the name Aichelburg, the ancient name of the castle's administrator. At first he bore only this name together with the coat of arms of the ancient Aichelburgs. In 1516, castle Aichelburg burnt down a second time, but was rebuilt shortly after. Then, Christoph Aichelburg was appointed imperial councillor of Carinthia. In the same century, members of the Aichelburg family were among the commanders of the imperial troops, which fought against the Turks. They also acquired two other castles in the valley, those of Poden (Bodenhofen) and of Greifenstein.
The following are the Aichelburgs' coats of arms: the pagan fortress, Greifenstein, Eck, and Labia
In 1627, the Aichelburgs became barons of the Empire and of Austrian hereditary lands with the title »Herren auf Potenhof and Greifenstein«. Then, they were permitted to add at their shield the arms of Greifenstein and of Eck (Brdo). In 1691, an earthquake damaged castle Aichelburg, and from then on it was abandoned. The family owned other castles in Austria. The Slovenian inhabitants of the Zila Valley tell a story about the Aichelburgs, which goes like this:
South of Šteben (St. Stefan) in the Zila Valley are found the ruins of a powerful castle, which was once erected on a great and beautiful hill with a panoramic view all around. The owners were the powerful Aichelburgs, who still today own a large estate there. Today, only the castle's walls remained preserved, which are slowly decaying. Round and round the site is overgrown with trees. Here and there one can see small trees branching out on top of the wall.
The Aichelburgs were powerful knights, indeed. They were eager to fight. When they went to wage war, the farmers and their servants had to follow them into the battle. In autumn, the Aichelburgs levied the tithes, and the farmers had no choice but to obey the orders given by the master of the castle. The one who did not obey, was thrown into jail.
But God punished the Aichelsburgs and let the castle fall into ruin.. The knights are captured under the savage ruins until the day of judgement. Those who pass by at night time can hear that the ruins are haunted. Once a woman saw a red man there, dressed in a chivalric manner, who was holding a lot of money in his hands. During the night one can hear rumbling noise in the ruins. In particular the children are frightened, when they picking berries in the surrounding of the ancient castle.
On the nearby hill stands a house, from which at one-time an iron bridge led to the castle. The knights were holding beautiful horses in the house. The site, where once the proud castle stood, is referred to in the people's mouth as »at the Old Castle« (pri Starem gradu).
|
Shield of Aichelburg of 1787, when the family raised to the rank of counts. In the crest above the arms appears besides other figures also a janizary, a column of victory and a king. |
|
(Argent, a pagan fortress Gules) |
Indeed, the story remembers the militant life of the Aichelburgs. In 1787, they advanced to counts. At that time, their coat of arms still included the symbolic arms: Argent, a pagan fortress Gules. It was the sign of their fights against the Turks, the enemies of the Empire. In this connection shall be mentioned that in the crest above the arms appears besides other figures also a janizary, a column of victory and a king.
|
| At that time, already two family lines existed, the Bohemian (Austrian) and the Hungarian one. They became the Indigenat in Hungary in 1843. The Aichelburgs had many important family members. One of them is the poet Eugen Aichelburg (1862 - 1902), further on, Ludwig Aichelburg (1865 - 1929) is a pioneer in the tourist industry... Since 1884, appears on their shield also the arms of the Labia: Azure, an eagle Or. |
Castle Eibiswald (Ivanik)
Originally it probably served as a Carantanian guarding post
The imposing building of castle Eibiswald (Ivanik), which was erected after 1500 AD. The image is found in Vischer's book from 1681.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
In the south-western part of Upper Styria (Austria), there is situated the lovely borough of Eibiswald not far from the Slovenian border. The Slovenian maps indicate also its Slovenian name form Ivnik. Anyway, this name does not derive from the word "ivje" (rime). It is only an abbreviation of Ivanik, which at one-time was the borough's original name. Indeed, in 1265 it appears in the records by the name of Ybanswalde. Thus, its first known feudal master very probably was called Ivan (Yban). The second part of the name - walde (literally: wood, forest) in this meaning has no sense. Its original form was very probably -warde (guard, or guards). Thus, it was still a military post in the period of Carantania.
The family coat of arms of the first Eibiswald, of the second Eibiswald (Arnfels), and of the Gräsl
Another possibility is that Aelblein of Eibiswald, whose seal of 1368 has been preserved, was one of Ivan's descendants. It might also be a nickname of Ivan, the German way of writing. The figure of a sitting hare appears on his seal. It is not known, if his family later became extinct or not. Anyway, around the year 1500 another family appears as the master of Eibiswald. They evidently came from Arnfels (Arvež), north-west of Maribor (Marburg).
In the seals of Michael of Arnfels from 1390, and Alex of Arnfels from 1463, there appear already two crossed feather tufts with four stars (1, 2, 1). Around 1500, Sigmund Eibiswald (Arnfels) received in pledge castle Eibiswald († 1515). In his arms are two crossed sticks with the tufts on top. Later the tufts sometimes took on the form of flames. In this way, the arms received the following shape: Geule, two crossed torches Argent.
Sigmund Eibiswald married Margaret Gräsl and the arms of her family: per fess, Fur and Geule, went as well to the Eibiswalds. Both arms were placed on a common shield: 1 and 4 (Eibiswald), 2 and 3 (Gräsl). In 1607, the family advanced to barons. The Eibiswald family inherited later also other arms, like those of the Gribinger, Kollnitz, Gradner, that appear on their shield of 1657. But already in 1674 the family died out. At Eibiswald, the Counts of Schrottenbach were the followers. In 1800, Ignaz of Purgay bought the castle. Then, from 1828 until 1883, it came into possession of the Hansa family.
At the present-day, the borough of Eibiswald bears a coat of arms in which appear three yew-trees (Eiben, in German).
Evidently, the heraldic designer of the arms was not aware of the name Ybanswalde, which was the original registration of the borough, or he intentionally ignored it.
Castle Turen
near Preddvor close to Kranj
It served as a watchtower for the road between Carniola and Carinthia
Coat of arms of the Adalbero, Dietmunda and Engelbert Chocherer: per chevron concave, Argent and Azure.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The castle rises majestically at the edge of Potoce, a hamlet close to the village of Preddvor in the Kokra Valley, in the vicinity of Kranj (Slovenia). According to the well-known historian Valvasor (17th century), it was built by the Margraves of Carniola from the Andechs family. Indeed, the name "turen" (tower) reminds of the original style of the castle, i.e., it was built in the shape of a tower (11th/12th century). Its strategic position in the Kokra Valley, through which the ancient road once passed from Carniola over the Lubel Pass to Carinthia, also confirms its ancient origin.
In the records the castle has been mentioned already as a court (dvor, Hof) in 1307. The name of the village Preddvor (literally: in front of the court) very probably refers to the ancient structure. At that time, the castle was in possession of the Chocherer family (Kokar, or Kokrar, referring to the Kokra). They were ancient ministeriales (knights, vitezi), mentioned for the first time already in 1154. The corresponding charter quotes Adalbero, Dietmunda and Engelbert Chocherer. Their coat of arms, which later became known, is as follows: per chevron concave, Argent and Azure. It resembles the former "škarnik" (chevron), the sign of a castellan.
Thus, the name "turen" (tower), first mentioned as "dvor" (court), as well as the original "škarnik" (chevron) in the arms of the family, who inhabited the castle, bear witness that a military watch post existed here in the early period of Carantania - Carniola. - It is not known, why or when the Chocherer family lost the castle. The lineage was very probably extinct, and the castle came into the hands of the prince of the land, who, around 1500 AD, was Emperor Maximilian. He sold Turen together with the neighbouring Novi grad (Neuburg) to Georg Eck (Brdo). Later, the castle found in Adam Dienzl a new owner.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
In the 80s, the remainder of a fort from the 10th/11th century AD was discovered in Gars (Grad), a locality in the Kamp Valley, north of the Danube (Lower Austria). The fort was situated on the ancient road leading from Carantania in the south to Moravia in the north. Today, the fort has been partially restored by Austrian archaeologists. The peculiarity of the object in question represents the fortified entrance, as shown on the picture. The ancient ruins of a church were also unearthed within the fort. The then Carantania certainly had many other forts, which still have to be discovered through archaeological research. This type of fort, surrounded by walls, pertains to the pre-feudal period, which in Carantania came to an end in the 10th century. Thereafter, the construction of characteristic medieval castles began. - It is considered, that the aforesaid fort was the residence of knez Joseph, a local Carantanian count (ca. 900 AD), whose name appears in the records at the time, when he donated one of his estates to the See of Freising. Nevertheless, in the late 10th, or at the beginning of the 11th century the fort was destroyed, which very probably happened during an invasion by the Hungarians. All its inhabitants were slaughtered in the attack.
(cf: for example articles: Castle Humperk and Tabor Djekše)
Castle Bela pec - (Weissenfels)
built by the Counts of Celje (Cilli)
at the end of the 18th century it fell into decay
Castle and borough of Bela pec (Weisssenfels) in the 17th century (Valvasor, 1679).
The castle was built by Frederick II, Count of Celje (Cilli)
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The very picturesque region of Bela pec (pron. bela petch, Weissenfels, in German) is to be found close to the present-day three-border point of Italy, Slovenia and Austria. Before the WW1, the locality pertained to the province of Carniola, which was part of the Austrian Monarchy. Then, after the decline of the Monarchy, it came under Italy. On the southern side, above Bela pec, we find two beautiful small lakes below the Mangart peak (2678 m). One of them is called Lake Klance.Today, the landscape is under environmental protection and classified as natural curiosities. Two or three kilometres further to the East near the village of Ratece, already within the borders of Slovenia, we come across the Planica Valley with its world famous ski-jump.
Historically seen, the area of Bela pec and Ratece, bordering close to the Zilca (Gailitz) River in the West, were part of the province of Carniola since immemorial times. The borough of Trbiž (Tarvis, Tarvisio) on the other bank of the Zilca River belonged already to the province of Carinthia. Both provinces were part of Carantania, and were under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. When in 1463 the See of Lublana was founded, this region came under the authority of the new bishopric.
The feudal lords of this region were the Counts of Ortenburg, who are mentioned in the records since the 12th century. In 1418, this family was extinct, and their properties were inherited by the Counts of Celje (Cilli). After 1431, Count Frederick II of Celje had built a castle on top of the hill, called Bela pec (1120 m), which rises high above the village. This name means "white steep", and in German it was called "Weissenfels". The name passed over to the settlement under the hill, whose inhabitants were mostly foundry workers, labouring for the local iron-forge.
In 1456, when the stock of Celje died out with Ulric II, who was the son of Frederick II', the region of Bela pec passed over to the Habsburgs. Under the new ruler the castle had several administrators, one of them being Georg Peuscher - Leonstein, in the 16th century. The juridical district of the castle included also the Carinthian territory, up to the village of Pontafel (Pontebba) in the West, and close to the town of Villach (Belak) in the North.
Lake Klance is one of the two picturesque lakes above Bela pec with the Mangart peak (2678 m) in the background.
It is not known, when the iron production was established for the first time in this region. Judging by the name Fužine, as the hamlet is called between Bela pec and Ratece, one can conclude, that the region's first iron production had its origin in the Middle Ages. The Slovenian word "fužine", which is a loan word from the Italian "fucine" (forges), even denoted already the Medieval furnaces, which were used in the iron winning.
Castle Bela pec was a well defended stronghold. The castle hill is protected on three sides with very steep slopes. Only on its northern part, from which the castle was accessible by road, the hill is less impervious. Here we find another small hamlet called Zagrad (Hinterschloß, Poscole). The castle was abandoned in the 18th century and from then on it fell slowly into decay. Today only its ruins are visible, which outline its original circumference.
The iron production in Bela pec has ceased to operate already a long time ago. The ancient forges have been replaced with the well-known chain manufacturer called "Weissenfels" works.
Castle Žlemberk (Schmirnberg)
The First Residence of the Counts of Trapp von Matsch
Schmirnberg - Žlemberk, a picture from Vischer's "Topographia Ducatus Stiriae", Graz 1681
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today, only the ruins of this splendid castle are to be seen on a hill close to the borough of Leutschach - Lucane. The borough is located north of Maribor, but already beyond the boundary, in Upper Styria (Austria). Its Slovenian name Žlemberk is evidently a derivation of Schmirnberg, the original German name, which appears in the records as Smilenburch, Schmielenburg, and lastly as Schmirnberg. It is very probable, that the fortress at this place existed already in the period of Carantania. Thus, it also could have had a Slovenian name, which perhaps is hidden behind Smilenburch. Nevertheless, the origin of its proper name has been lost.
There are no records concerning the existence of Žlemberk castle in the Carantanian period. As far is known, the corresponding archaeological excavations are still missing. It is but presumably, that the hill, on which the one-time castle was erected, enjoyed a strategic position in that period. It is easy to image a fortress at this place as a defence system against the Hungarians from Pannonia (10th century).
The strategic significance of the castle and of a possible prior Carantanian fortress is also confirmed by the fact, that the administrators of the castle had the rank of a castellan (Burggraf in German, gradnik in Slovenian). The first one known among them was Ulric Schmielenburg (ca. 1250), who very probably served as a knight for the Counts of Heunburg (Vovbre), in Carinthia. His follower, the castellan Markvart Schmielenburg, could only have been his son. In 1296, his seal depicts the following arms: Argent, in chief a fess dancettèe Gules.
The arms of Žlemberk - Schmirnberg and of Trapp von Matsch (Siebmacher's Wappenbuch)
|
| It seems that already another fortress existed close to Leutschach, namely the castle of Trappenburg, which was owned by the family of the same name. Subsequently, Friedrich Trapp was named after the castle, and very probably, he was the son or nephew of Markvart. His son, also Friedrich Trapp (†1388), was the castellan of Schmielenburg in 1361, and he became the heir of Leutschach. From his family descended the lines of Trapp and Fuchs. |
|
Another son of his was very probably Erhard Trapp, who was the castellan of Marenberg (today Radle) in the Drava Valley. In his seal of 1382 he bore the same picture on the shield as his grandfather Markvart did. It seems, that at that time the family already was called Trapp, after the castle Trappenburg close to Leutschach. A certain Ulric Trapp was the provost of Seckau († 1414). In 1446, there was another Ulric Trapp, who bore on his shield the same arms, except in the crest he bore a lower chivalric hat surmounted by the bustard wings. The bustard wings were evidently an allusion to the family name Trapp, which was connected to the bustard (Trappe, in German).
But it is not very likely, that the name Trappenburg is a deriviation of Trappe (bustard). In the majority of cases, the name reflects the topographical and morphological position of an object. Anyway, the original castle Trappenburg does not exist any more, and its role has been taken over by a new structure called castle Trautenburg.
Trautenburg, from Vischer's "Topographia... (1681)
Trapp von Matsch
A member of the Trapp family, Jakob Trapp by name († 1417), had a son, also called Jacob Trapp, who, in 1435, became the counsellor to Duke Frederic IV of Habsburg, Count of Tyrol. In 1439, when Frederic IV died, Jacob Trapp JR. went to Tyrol, and became the supreme Hofmeister (controller) at Archduke Sigismund's court, the son of Frederic IV. In 1462, he married Agnes, the daughter of Ulric Metsch, Vogt (administrator) of Tyrol, Count of Kirchberg. In 1470, Emperor Frederic granted to Ulric Metsch the arms of the extinct family of Vatz (Schwanburg): Quarterly, 1 and 4 Gules, 2 and 3 chequy Azure and Argent. In 1469, the Trapps became also the hereditary office of Hofmeister (controller) of Tyrol. In 1470, he became the trustee of several estates, among them the castles of Kaldonatsch (Caldonazzo) and Pisein (Beseno), both in the surroundings of Trento.
The arms of the barons and counts of Trapp von Metsch (Siebmacher's Wappenbuch)
In 1504, Jacob's brother-in-law, Gaudenz Metsch, the last male member of the family, died at castle Churburg close to Schluderns in Vintschgau. Then, a great part of the Metsch' legacy passed over to the Trapps together with the arms: Argent, three wings (2, 1) Azure. At that time, the chief line of the family was called Trapp zu Chur- und Schwanburg.
In 1548, the seal of another person, by the name of Jacob Trapp (von Metsch), depicts the following arms: Quarterly, an escutcheon Metsch, 1 and 4 Schmielenburg, 2 and 3 Trapp. The latter Trapp arms were new, and were an allusion of the family name, meaning a bustard bird: Or, a soaring nature bustard. - In 1567, Jacob's sons Oswald, Jacob and George sold castle Trappenburg (Trautenburg) to the Trautmannsdorf family. The ancient Schmielenburg had already fallen into decay. In this way, the relation between the Trapp family and Styria had ceased.
The Knight Krutoglava - In connection with the ancient Žlemberk - Schmielenburg, a fairy tale has been preserved in Slovenian people's tradition, concerning a wicked knight, who, apparently at one time was the master of this castle. He bore the name Krutoglava, literally "cruel-head". The content of the fairy tale is as follows (cf. Kelemina 1930, Nr. 255):
Once upon a time, there was a knight called Krutoglava, who managed castle Žlemberk. Then, the peasants on his estates lived through difficult times, because he tormented and extorted them at his pleasure. Not only that, he also followed young females. On time, when he was pursuing a fleeing girl again, he fell over an abrupt cliff into the deep precipice and was instantly killed. The peasants hastened to the site of the accident, and saw with their own eyes that the monster was dead. A mottled adder was wrapped around his neck. His consort, a good woman who had faith in God, asked to say a Mass for the well being of the defunct's soul. But during the service a roaring noise came down like a thunder: the devil himself drove upon Krutoglava's church, and he was all wrapped up in snakes... The fearful people could not get rid of the devil, until they called a holy eremite, who said the prayers and had forsworn the ghost.
In Tyrol, the family Trapp von Metsch advanced to Barons of the Empire, in 1605. Thereafter, in 1655, one of the lineage, and in 1691, the entire family advanced to Counts. Their coat of arms improved as follows: Quarterly, an escutcheon Schwanburg, an escutcheon Matsch, 1 and 4 Trapp, 2 and 3 Schmielenburg. Then, the arms of the counts were as follows: Quarterly: an escutcheon: Gules, a tower Argent (probably Churburg) 1 Matsch, 2 Trapp, 3 Schmielenburg, 4 Schwanburg, above the shield a count's coronet. The chief line of the family Trapp von Metsch zu Chur- and Schwanburg was extinct in 1794. Other family lines survived. Among them was the line, which bore the name Trapp von Metsch zu Pisein (Beseno).
The arms of the Trapp family: Schmirnberg, Matsch, Trapp, Schwanberg, unknown
To the seigniory of Beseno pertained also the community of Folgaria, which enjoyed an ancient autonomy. This, in my opinion, reflected the legacy of the one-time (Venetic) social organization of Raetia. In 1470, when the Trapps took over the seigniory, they did not acknowledge the autonomy, but they even re-instituted the feudal tithes. A keen dispute arose, the complained to the Emperor and it even came to hostile engagements. Not earlier then in 1693 the quarrel ended. Castle Beseno remained in the family's possession until 1974, when they donated the estate to the Province of Trento. - The Trapps, who originated from Schmirnberg and Trappenburg near Leutschach in Styria, gave to Tyrol a great number of valorous personalities, and they still blossom in several lines.
References:
|
• |
Jakob Kelemnina: Bajke in povesti slovenskega ljudstva /Fairy tales and Stories of the Slovenian people/, Celje 1930 |
|
• |
Siebmacher's Wappenbuch, Band VI, 1. Abt. Abgestorbener bayerischer Adel, p. 23, Tafel 18, Nurermberg 1882 |
|
• |
Siebmacher's Wappenbuch, Band IV, 1. Abt. Der Adel der Gefürsteten Grafschaft Tirol, p. 17, Tafel 20, Nuremberg 1856 |
|
• |
Zaharias Bartsch, Steiermärkisches Wappenbuch 1567 (Faksimilausgabe, J. von Zahn, A. Anthony von Siegenfeld), Graz 1890 |
|
| It was the seat of the knight family that flourished for many years in Carinthia |
|
• |
Dobrna in the 19th century. |
|
• |
In the background the ruins of the mighty castle Kacnik. |
|
• |
To the right the common arms of the families Rabensberg and Dobrna or Neuhaus (above) |
|
• |
and the proper amrs of Dobrna (below) |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today only the decayed walls bear witness of the one-time existing ancient castle called Kacnik (pron. catchnik), which stood close to the well-known Dobrna Spa, north of Celje in Styria, Slovenia. At first the castle was the property of the Counts of Bogen or Arco, who in ca. 1145 sold it to the Bishop of Krka (Gurk), Carinthia.
The records mention the castle for the first time in 1275. At that time, it was already in the private ownership of the knights and later seigniors of Neuhaus (Dobrna). Their lineage belonged to the knights of the Rabensberg family, who resided in the neighbouring castle of Rabensberg. In 1378, Eberhard of Dobrna pledged the castle to the chapter of the cathedral of Krka. Nevertheless, the castle remained in possession of the Dobrna family, who evidently repaid the chapter. Actually, soon after the castle came into the hands of the Seigniors of Ptuj, very possible as a dowry. But this family died out in 1438, and the castle, as it seems, returned into the possession of the Dobrna family.
At first, the arms of the seigniors of Dobrna were identical with the arms of the Rabensberg family, as the seal from 1329 reveals, which pertained to Eberhart of "Newemhous" (Neuhaus, Dobrna): Argent, a soaring crow Sable. Later, following the example of Corvinus, the Hungarian king, the crow bore a crown and was holding in the beak a golden ring. The seal from 1416, pertaining to Sigmund of Dobrna depicts the same shield with the crow in the crest. - Castle Rabensberg (Ranšperk, Lanšperk) was founded on the hill Gradišce, not far from Dobrna. In 1452, the Counts of Celje destroyed the castle.
|
The three coats of arms represent the Helfenberg or Soteska family:
|
|
from left to right: |
|
• |
the arms of Rabensberg
|
|
• |
the second and the third arms of the Helfenbergs |
Another family line of the Rabensbergs were the knights of Helfenberg (Soteska). Their castle was situated upon the Marof hill above the Socka creek. First, they bore only the Rabensbergs' arms, and later also their own: Gules, an elephant Argent surmounted by a fortress Or. The elephant figure is evidently an allusion of "helfant" (elephant). Their third arms was the chevron on the shield, which bore witness, that they or their predecessors were the castellans of this castle. In 1439, the Counts of Celje destroyed their castle too. Later on it underwent renovations. But in 1635 it was destroyed again by the rebelling peasants. The last male member of this family died in 1686.
On the epitaph of Sigmund of Dobrna († 1429), which is kept in the pilgrims' church on Crna gora (Ptuska gora, Maria Neustift), we see the second arms of the seigniors of Dobrna: Per bend, Argent and Sable, a chief Gules. Since then, the family bore both arms, which in the following century were associated into one shield. In 1576, Emperor Rudolph II improved the arms with a crown in the crest for Hanns von und zu Neuhaus (Dobrna). However, in 1605 the chief line of the seigniors of Dobrna (Neuhaus) at castle Kacnik died out.
Then, the castle came into possession of a family called Kacnik or Gacnik, named so after the castle. The Emperor granted to the family the nobility with the appellate "von Schlangenburg", i.e., the literally German translation of the castle's Slovenian name (snake castle). The Kacnik family owned Dobrna until 1729, and they were also the founders of the first kurhouse there.
The manor of Dobrna was built by the Dienersberg family after 1772, when the ancient castle Kacnik fall into decay.
Dobrna and its castle came thereafter into possession of the Dienersberg family. In 1772, castle Kacnik decayed, and the Dienersbergs erected a new manor in the valley below. In 1814, Francis Xaver Kajetan, Baron of Dienersberg, expanded the watering resort of Dobrna. In 1848, the new owner, Count of Hoyos, made improvements to Dobrna's spa, but in 1858 he sold the estate to the Provincial Diet of Styria.
The Neuhaus'
The arms of the Neuhaus family in Carinthia as it is presented in the "Wappenbuch C" (ca. 1624)
Sigmund of Dobrna († 1429) had several children. One of them, also called Sigmund, married Margaret of Weißbriach (Carinthia). Through his consort he came into possession of castle Greifenfels (Pri Špeku), east of Klagenfurt - Celovec. He was the founder of the Carinthian line of the Dobrna seigniors, who bore the name Neuhaus , i.e., the original German name of the family. Do not confound this name with castle Neuhaus (Suha, in Slovenian) close to Labot - Lavamünd, in eastern Carinthia, and with the Neuhaus family of Gorica. Sigmund of Neuhaus jr. became a monk and died in 1463 in the monastery of Vetrinj - Viktring. In the church there, one can see his beautiful epitaph with the Neuhaus coat of arms: Quarterly, 1 and 4 Neuhaus (Dobrna), 2 and 3 Rabensberg.
In the following period the Neuhaus family prospered in Carinthia. They enjoyed great prestige among the public. In 1530, three deputies represented Carinthia at the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, they were members of the families Tannhausen, Selzer and Neuhaus. At the Diet of Inner Austria, held in Bruck on the Mura in 1578, the name Neuhaus also appears among the 83 deputies from Carinthia.
|
The epitaph of Georg Sigmund of Neuhaus († ca. 1600), his consort Elisabeth of Kuenburg and their children, found in the church of Krnos - Gurnitz, east of Klagenfurt - Celovec, Carinthia. |
In 1567, Christoph of Neuhaus transferred the seat of the seigniory to castle Žrelec (Sreltz, now Ebenthal) east of Klagenfurt - Celovec. The ancient castle Greifenfels decayed in the 17th century. Georg Sigmund of Neuhaus was vicedominus (administrator) of the Salzburg properties in Carinthia (1572 - 1599) and possessed the castles Ebenthal, Ehrenhausen, Greifenfels and Kalleg. In the church of Krnos - Gurnitz is found a beautiful epitaph of him, his consort Elisabeth née Kuenburg and their issues. - In 1636 the Neuhaus' advanced to barons. In the following century in 1742, they died out in the male line.
The Fate of Castle Helfenberg (Soteska)
B. Ježovnik
Between the towns of Žalec and Velenje, there are still found the ruins of Castle Helfenberg, which once stood on Marof hill above the gorge of the Socka creek. At the beginning, the family of Helfenberg was holding the castle in pledge. Its first known owner was Henry Helfenberg, mentioned in the records in 1256. Since the 15th century, the name of Jobst Helfenberg was preserved in the historical annals. On order of Count Herman II of Celje, Jobst and his brother carried out the murder of Veronica of Desenice at Castle Ojstrica. She was the favourite of Frederic of Celje, Herman's son. They drowned her in the bath.
|
From left to right: The arms of the families Gabelkoven and Schrattenbach, who, after the extinction of the Helfenbergs in 1686, one after the other owned their castle. |
The last member of the Helfenberg family died in 1686. Then, the castle was taken over by the Gabelkoven family, who in 1720 sold it to Otto Henry of Schrattenbach. Around 1800, the castle and its estates were bought by the Škerlin family, and soon after it came into possession of Baron Karel Puthon, the lord of Zalog manor. In 1873, Jacob Ježovnik bought the castle on an auction sale, and it remained thereafter in the possession of the Ježovnik family until it was confiscated in 1945. Soteska (Helfenberg) was burned down by partizans in 1943.
The Ježovniks of Arja vas (Arnsdorf) were also the owners of Govce manor. In 1841 Govce was registered for the first time in the land-registry of Novo Celje (Neucilli), urad (office) Grmovje (Hofrain), belonging to Ivan Apnar. His follower was Ludwig Hausmann, the lord of Novo Celje, who sold Govce manor to Franc Žuža, the brewer of Žalec. In 1859, Govce manor came into possession of Johanna Schwab (née Halm). Later, the owner became Johann Ježovnik and after him his daughter Irma Ježovnik until it was confiscated in 1945. (For further information please read Index Ježovnik)
References: Monografija Galicija, Žalec 1989.
cf: Index Ježovnik - article Helfenberg
Castle Vivšnik (Weißenegg)
At one time an important fort in eastern Carinthia
The castle of Vivšnik - Weißenegg
On the right: the second and the first arms of the family
on the left the arms of the Wolfs
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The castle was founded on a wooded spur north-east of Ruda (Ruden) in eastern Carinthia. In 1243 it was mentioned for the first time in the records. But the original fort dates back much further than that. At one time, it must have been an important stronghold in the eastern defence system of Carinthia, because the remaining ruins show a much greater extent of the structure. The tower wall alone had a thickness of 2 m deep.
In the 12th century a knight family with the same name resided in the castle. The family had also been appointed to the position of castellans of Grebinj (Griffen). Thus, we find in the documents a certain Dietmar "de Griven" (1244) and a certain Dietmar "de Vizzenekke". The seals, it is true, depict the same arms, whose colours are known from later sources as: Gules, a pale Argent. These two Dietmars were most likely one and the same person.
The arms with one pale (or bend) could have been the sign of appurtenance to the eastern military command during the period of Great Carantania. (The sign of the northern command had two bends, and the sign of the western one had three bends.) A fact, which stresses even more the one-time strategic importance of this castle.
Later, other elements were added into the arms of the Weißeneggs. But in 1337, the arms of Fritzl Weißenegg show by now a different image: per pale, Sable three level monds Argent (1, 1, 1), and Gules. At the beginning of the 14th century the Weißeneggs inherited the arms of the Wolf family: Argent, a wolf Gules rising from a triple mount Vert. The family died out in 1596.
Their castle, however, came into the possession of the Counts of Celje already in 1363. Since 1424, it was the property of the See of Bamberg (Bavaria), and remained in their ownership until 1759. Today, the structure of the castle is still maintained, but it no longer serves a purpose.
|
| Castle Svinec (Eberstein) |
|
| in the Krcica (Görschitz) Valley |
| |
|
The present-day lower castle of Eberstein - Svinec. Below on the left two coats of arms: 1st, the Eberstein arms: quarterly, Argent and Gules (in the crest a boar), 2nd, the Christalnigg arms: Gules, two bends Argent. |
|
| In 831, the Valley of Krcica (Görschitz) was given to the See of Salzburg as a royal donation. The valley is named after the Krcica River, a tributary of the Krka (Gurk) in Carantania (Carinthia). This valley was important because it was rich on various minerals. Later, the lower part of the valley became the property of the Counts of Goerz, the palgraves of Carinthia, where they founded a seigniory, which had its centre at the castle Eberstein. In Slovenian, the castle is called Svinec, which means lead, and very probably refers to the mineral winning in the valley. |
|
| The German name of the castle is an improper translation of the true Slovenian name. In Slovenian language exists the etymon "svinja" (f.) meaning a swine. Therefore, the word "svinec" (m.) was wrongly interpreted as Eber (boar), and the castle received the German name Eberstein. |
|
| In 1132, Count Engelbert of Goerz appears as "Count of Eberstein". The quarterly shield of the knights on the castle (ministerials), which in the Great Duchy of Carantania had the rank of a count, in sense of being the military commander of the county, originated certainly from this title. The records mention the castle for the first time in 1230. The ministerials on it, in service of the Counts of Goerz, are attested in 1267. At that time, two castles had been built already, the upper and the lower one. The upper castle became the seat of the regional court (Landesgericht) in 1436. This castle went into the hands of the Habsburgs in 1460. In the following year, the Habsburgs gave it in fief to the Greißenegg family. In 1465, the regional court was transferred to the neighbouring castle Ober Hornburg, and Ober Eberstein gradually fall into decay. |
|
| The lower castle, called Kirchhof, came through marriage to the Welzer family. However, it too fall into decay. The follower of the Welzers was Veit Weher, who in the following century rebuilt the lower castle of Eberstein. But the Wehers became Protestants, and like many other members of the new faith, they had to go into exile, in 1628. |
|
| In 1633, the Weher castle was bought by Georg David Christalnigg, whose family, in 1709, advanced to barons, and in 1721 to counts. The Christalnigg family owned the castle until 1935. |
Kanja
|
| An ancient noble family of Carantania and the popular fairy tale about their castle |
|
| The picturesque waterfall and the arms of the Kanja family |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
In the region of Juna (Podjuna), Carinthia (Austria), we find under the Karavanke Mountains a village called Podkanja vas (Wildenstein, in German). Behind the village a picturesque waterfall is rushing over a cliff. At one-time, a castle called Kanjski grad (Wildenstein) stood on the rising ground above the waterfall. The castle's name has its root in the Slovenian word "kanja" (buzzard). Its inhabitants were a noble family named Wildenstein, preserved in the records in its German form only. The original Slovenian name form was very probably Kanja (substantive) and not Kanjski (adjective).
A well preserved fairy tale about castle Kanjski has been recorded and goes like that:
One day, a young boy passed by the castle and noticed a beautiful girl drying gold coins on three sheets. But the girl was bewitched, and she told him the secret of a remedy that could save her. The following day she appeared before him in form of a snake, that tried to grasp him. She had instructed him not to feel intimidated, but to take a switch and hit the snake. He should do this three times in a row, that would take the spell of her and transform her back into a human being. As a reward, he will receive all gold coins kept in the cellar of the castle. Nevertheless, the boy was scared of the snake, and the spellbound girl was not saved. Thereafter, she planted three twigs into the soil. Within time they will grow into trees. And from their wood a cradle will be carved. In this cradle a child will sleep, and when it is grown up, it will save the enchanted girl.
In 1348, when a strong tremor seriously damaged the castle, the family moved to castle enek (Sonegg) in the proximity of Goselna vas (Gößelsdorf) and adopted the name Sunegk. But in 1470, Emperor Frederic III granted permission to Hans Sunegk to adopt the original family name of Wildenstein again, and he also gave approval to bear the family coat of arms. In 1649, the title of baron was granted to the family, and in 1678 they advanced to counts.
|
| According to A. Anthony von Siegenfeld, the original family arms depicted: Argent, a griffon's claw Or with a wing Sable. Thus, in Carantanian colours: argent and sable. Anyway, such an explanation is certainly incorrect, because the arms are an allusion of the family's Slovenian name, Kanja (buzzard). The family shield reflects in fact a buzzard's claw and wing. After receiving the Emperor's approval, it appeared as follows: Gules, a buzzards' claw Or with a wing Sable. - The last descendant of the family was Count Cajetan Wildenstein († 1824). |
Lublana Castle
First it was a castle of the Carantanian dukes
|
Castle Lublana in his present-day renewed surface. In the left corner on top is the silver coin from 1240, called a denaric, which was issued by Duke Bernard of Carinthia (Carantania), from the mint of Lublana. On the right, the figure of Belin (Belenus), unearthed at Lublana castle (2nd century BC). |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Instead of the officially yugoslavized name form "Ljubljana", I prefer to write the original name Lublana (293 m). This city, the former provincial chief town of Carniola and today's capital of Slovenia, was already a municipium in the Roman era, called Emona. In that period, the city was founded in the area which is now called Gradisce. But the name Lublana certainly refers to the settlement below the castle hill, on the other side of the river Lublanica. It is definitely not to be identified with Emona.
This settlement existed certainly in the Roman era, albeit it is not mentioned in the Roman documents. Neither is mentioned the fort on the castle hill (376 m), that rises above Lublana. Since times immemorial, a fort existed on this hill. Archaeological excavations confirm the settlement. Among the findings was also a statuette of Belin (Belenus), god of light and sun of the ancient Carni and Veneti. After the decline of the Roman Empire, a wooden fort was still standing on the hill, and in the 13th century a castle of stone was constructed there.
The original name of the castle hill must have been Luben or Lubel, from which also the name Lublana derived. Its root is *lub or *lob, meaning even an exposed and visible hill. From this root derives also the etymon lobanja (cranium). The ending -ana in Slovenian place names is referred to topographical phenomea, and in this way we get Lublana. Nevertheless, the documents mention this name first in its German form as Laibach not earlier then in 1144, and soon after in its Slovenian form as Luwigana, in 1146. At that time, Lublana was already a medieval city pertaining to the dukes of Carantania (Carinthia), and Ulric of Lublana, son of Ulric I, Duke of Carinthia, has been mentioned in the records.
|
| In 1220, the Carinthian Duke Bernard granted properties to the Monastery of Vetrinj (Viktring) - in palacio nostro Leibach. By "palacio" was meant the castle Lublana. The dynasty of the Carantanian dukes died out in 1269. Then, the King of Bohemia, Ottokar II, followed them on the throne. But after some years, the Carantanian (Slovenian) lands pertained to the Habsburgs, who for centuries, i.e., until the end of the WW1, figured as princes of the land. Also Castle Lublana belonged to them. |
The inside of the castle chapel of St. Georg (15th century) with the arms of 17th century
Toward the end of the 15th century, the ancient castle was removed, and a new structure was built on its place, which has been preserved until today. It is shaped in a circular form with a large inside yard. A tower has been erected on its south-west part. Close to it there is the castle chapel, consecrated to St. George and mentioned first in 1489. In the north-west corner we still find the mysterious motto A.E.I.O.U, pertaining to the Habsburgs since the period of Emperor Frederic III (15th century).
Lublana castle was the official seat of the governors of Carniola. However, it did not play a very administrative and political role. Since the 16th century, the captured Turks were held here. Thereafter, it served as a common jail. Since 1815, the Austrian administration used it even for the carbonari, the Italian rebels. Among them was also the well-known writer Silvio Pellico. During the WW1, the Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar was imprisoned there, because of his Yugoslav ideas.
After WW1, this picturesque castle was the dwelling place of many poor people. Its renovation began not earlier then in 1964 and progressed slowly. Today, the castle finally is reigning again above Lublana in its renewed aspect, and it figures as the most authentic symbol of this serene and joyous city, which is the capital of Slovenia.
|
| Ljubljana: Francesco Robba: Fountain of Carniolan Rivers, Lublana (1751). |
Castle Strmol
The one-time dwelling place of the families Stermol, Rain and Rus
|
Panoramic view of castle Strmol, north of Lublana. |
|
Coat-of-arms of families who were in possession of the castle. |
|
Top left: family Stermol (Strmol) - Top right: family Rain
|
|
Bottom right: family Rus (Rüssenstein) |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
This castle is found in the hamlet of Dvor near the village of Cerkle, north of Lublana. Its panoramic position is one of the most beautiful in Slovenia. The records mention it for the first time in 1287, when knight Veriand of Strmol was its proprietor. Henry III was the last member of the Strmol family, still remembered in the archives in 1516. After the extinction of the family, the castle changed hands.
In the 15th century, it was a fief of the prince of the land, and in 1458 the castle was bestowed upon two brothers, Georg and James Polcz. In 1479, it was given in fief to the family of Andrew Rain, who had a famous reputation in Carniola. Georg Rain was vicedomus of Carniola. During the Turkish attacks, in 1469, he gathered an army of ca. 20,000 men and came to the assistance of Andrew Hohenwart, the governor of Carniola. Georg Rain lost his life († 1496) in the fights against the Turks.
Later, the Rains sold the castle. Because they were Protestants, they were forced to leave the country for Germany, in 1628, in sense of the ruler's decree. A member of this family converted to Catholicism and founded a family line, which continued to exist in Carniola. The last in line was Baron Joseph Rain, residing at castle Turn near Dragatuš († 1791).
|
| In 1643, Strmol was bought by Baron Conrad Rüss (Rus) or Rüssenstein. The castle remained in possession of this family until the 18th century; then it became the property of Laurence Prah. Thereafter, it changed hands many times. Before the WW2, family Fuchs was the last owner. After the war, the Communist regime confiscated the castle, and today it serves the needs of the Slovenian government. |
Popravek (correction):
Spošovani,
pripravljam strokovni clanek o zgodovini grašcine Strmol na Gorenjskem. V ta namen že vec kot pol leta obiskujem arhive in proucujem listine ter druge dokumente, ki zadevajo to grašcino.
Seveda sem pobrskala tudi po spletnih straneh in naletela na to vaš stran, kjer je v oddelku Our Castles I tudi zapis o Strmolu. Bila sem zgrožena in Vam bom takoj napisala, zakaj.
|
1. Slika, ki naj bi predstavljala grašcino Strmol na Gorenjskem, predstavlja pred kratkim obnovljeno grašcino Strmol pri Rogatcu. |
|
2. Vitez Henrik III, ki naj bi bil zadnji svojega rodu, je živel na Strmolu pri Rogatcu! |
|
3. V nobenih dokumentih ni dokaza, da bi bila grašcina v letu 1458 podeljena bratoma Juriju in Janezu Polcu. |
4. Vicedom Jurij Rain je umrl v letu 1474, Jurij, ki je omenjen v sestavku, je bil njegov necak.
5. V letu 1628 niso Raini zapustili Kranjske, ampak le en clan družine z dvema sinovoma.
6. Zadnji clan družine Rain ni bil baron Jožef, ki naj bi imel v letu 1791 grad Dragatuš, to je bil namrec baron Jožef Ruessenstein.
Menim, da je prevec napak v tem besedilu in prosim, da ga nadomestite s pravilnim, posebej pa prosim, da takoj umaknete slike neprave grašcine! Spletna stran gre po vsem svetu in kolikor vidim, jo bere veliko ljudi, ker so clanki in mnenja vecinoma res dobri, vendar si takih napak nikakor ne bi smeli privošciti.
Zdi se mi cudno, da teh nepravilnosti ni opazil še nihce drug, vendar to vzbuja upanje, da boste napako lahko cimprej in brez tezav popravili.
Želim Vam se veliko uspehov in Vas lepo pozdravljam,
Lidija Slana
Carantha's comment: Zelo smo Vam hvaležni za Vaša dopolnila. Objavljeno besedilo je prevzeto iz razlicnih virov, ki ocitno niso dovolj zanesljivi. Toda sedaj smo prevec obloženi z delom, da bi lahko naredili ustrezne popravke. Sliki obeh gradov z imenom Strmol se med mnogimi slikami se na internetu, odkoder smo jih dobili, zamenjavata. Radi bi takoj vnesli pravo sliko kranjskega Strmola. Ce nam jo lahko pošljete, bomo zelo veseli. - Pozdrav, Carantha.
Castle Bekštanj (Finkenstein)
A picturesque Carinthian castle close to Lake Bace (Faak)
View on castle Bekštanj - Finkenstein with lake Bace (Faak) in the background.
Top left: The arms of the Ras family, later adopted by the Dietrichsteins.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Bekštanj, in all its splendid ruin, rises on a hill in the proximity of Lake Baško jezero (Faaker See) in southern Carinthia, and bears witness of a one-time powerful castle. Its beginning dates back to the period of Carantania, when it must have been already an important fort. Its German name Finkenstein, from which also the Slovenian form Bekštanj derives, is somewhat mysterious. One has to ask oneself, what has a finch (Fink) to do with this ancient castle?
I think, it is about a tautology. The original name of the castle must have contained the etymon "scone", meaning a fort (as in the case of castle Šumperk - Schönberg, in Carniola). But in the dialect of the people, the name was palatalized and pronounced as "šcin" or šcink". The last word is equal with the Slovenian "šcink" (today it has the ending: šcink-avec), which means a finch (Fink, in German). In this way, the wrongly translated name "Finkenstein" (finch castle) entered the German written records.
In 12th century, Castle Bekštanj was the seat of a knight's family called Ras. They bore their name after the Roz Valley (Rosental, in German). I believe, they very probably were derived from the "svobodini" (Freie), the Carantanian freemen. But they preferred to be the administrators of several castles and fiefs, and in this way they became unfree liegemen. Apart from Bekštanj, they also managed Vetrov (Federaun), Rozek (Rosegg), and others.
In the documents, the family name was mentioned for the first time after 1143. Later, in 1171, a certain Rudolf I "de Rasek" (Rosegg) appears in the records, who was the ministerial of the Bishop of Bamberg, as well as administrator and bailiff of the monastery of Podklošter (Arnoldstein). He had two sons, Cholo II and Rudolf II. The latter administered castle Vetrov. His line died out in 1318. His first son dwelt at Bekštanj, and his line became extinct in ca. 1340. Then, castle Bekštanj was taken over by the Habsburgs.
In 1508, the reigning ruler bestowed the family of Dietrichstein with the seigniory and castle of Bekštanj. The Dietrichsteins adopted also the arms of the Ras. Nevertheless, in 1768 they abandoned the powerful castle and moved into the newly built manor in the plain. The Stari Bekštanj (Alt Finkenstein) fell gradually into decay.
Castle Radgona
At first it was the castle of the noble of Radigoj
|
View of castle Gornja Radgona, with some arms of its masters below. From left to right: |
|
the arms of the Stubenbergs, the later arms of the Stubenbergs (after Ulric Stubenberg went on a Crusade in 1216), the arms of the families Polheim, Wurmbrand and Metnitz. |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Castle Radgona (Ober-Radkersburg, in German) is standing on a slightly elevated hill on the right bank of the Mura River, close to the present-day Slovenian Austrian border. It was still in the period of Carantania, when an important fortress was built at this site against the attacks of the neighbouring Hungarians. Its name goes back to the noble of Radigoj, who very probable was his first owner, but we don't know anything about him.
We find in this name again the German word "ober", which in my opinion derives from the Slovenian "obora", meaning a place encircled with palisades or walls. Such were the first fortifications. The word "ober" was understood as "upper", and then translated in Slovenian as "gornji" (upper). In this way Gornja Radgona signified the castle and the hamlet under it, whereas Radgona (Radkersburg) has been the city beyond the Mura River, now belonging to Austria.
At the beginning of the 12th century, it was already the property of Count Bernard of Maribor (Marburg), a member of the Carantanian ducal family. He was the margrave of the Ptuj (Pettau) March. However, in 1147 he lost his life on a Crusade. Beforehand, he had bequeathed his properties to the nephew of his consort Cunegonde of Traungau, Ottokar III, who later became margrave of the Carantanian March (Styria). In this way, the Ptuj March as well as castle Radgona were integrated with Styria.
In 1213, the records document the borough Rategoysburch, of which a Gebhardus was the "offitialis" (administrator). Two knights are mentioned in the same year, Poppo et Louitoldus miles de Ratigoysburch. The castle with the name vest Rakhersburg has been recorded in 1269. In 1363, Duke Rudolf IV of Austria and Styria declared, that the fort was given to him as a free property by the knights Ortolf and Henry of Lindeck, Conrad Schwabau and Wulfing Kelz, and then it was granted it back to them in fief.
A painting of Radgona castle with the so-called rose seal of the Stubenbergs, of 1247.
After 1380, the fort or castle came into possession of the Bishop of Gurk (Krka), who in 1392 sold it to Frederic Stubenberg. The castle remained in his family until 1469, when Hans Stubenberg associated with Andrew Baumkirchner in a plot against the Emperor, and thereby lost the castle. In 1470, the Emperor gave the castle to the Polheim family. In 1479, it came together with the city of Radgona under the occupation of Mathias Corvinus, the Hungarian king, which lasted until 1490. Thereafter, the castle was administered by several nobles: 1494 Heinrich Eberbach, 1496 Hans Eberbach, 1501 Wolfgang Graben, 1505 Seifried Mettnitz. Later the castle and the seigniory were given in pledge to other nobles. Since 1572 Gabriel Strein made his residence there, and in this period the castle was reconstructed completely. In 1623, the castle and seigniory of Radgona were sold to Hans Ulric Prince of Eggenberg, and remained in this family until 1717. The sister of the last member of the family, An Eleonora, bought the seigniory as a gift for her husband, Count Leoplod Herberstein. In 1786, after the renewal, the castle was finally sold to Count Francis Joseph Wurmbrand. His family remained owners of the castle until 1914, when it was sold to Count Carl Chorinsky.
|
| In 1931, the administration of the Drava "banovina" (department) sold the land pertaining to the castle. The castle should become an institute for infirm people. The furnishings and numerous pictures of the owners were auctioned off. After WW2, the castle was converted into apartments. |
Castle Humperk (Hollenburg)
was a Roman and a Carantanian fort
Castle Hollenburg and the arms of its first owners (Or, a drake rampant Sable), which identifies with the name of its first recording in the historical chronicles.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
A very picturesque castle was built here, south of Klagenfurt - Celovec, high atop the Drava Valley, called Roz (Rosental) there. The castle offers a beautiful panorama of the valley and the Karavanke Mountains in the background. In Slovenian, the castle is called Humperk, which is a form of Hollenburg, the original German name. This name derives from the German etymon Hölle (pit). Since no such pit was found there, it is very possible that this name, in a Slovenian speaking area, was translated from the original Slovenian name, which has not been preserved. This name could only have been Jamnik, like Hollenstein - Jamnik near Konjice in Styria. In Slovenian, the etymon "jama" (pronounce: yama - pit) means also a valley, particularly when it is seen from above. Anyway, only the German name of the castle has been preserved, and its seigniors were called, accordingly, those of Hollenburg.
With regards to the Roman fort, that already existed on this strategic place, bear witness Roman stones, immured in the castle walls. In the period of Carantania, the "curtis ad Trahoven" (one of the royal palaces in the country), recorded in 860 AD, has to be identified with this castle. The German word "Trahove" (Drachen, dragon) is very probably connected with the arms of the Hollenburg family, in which a dragon appears.
Swiker III of Hollenburg's seal from 1238. On the right, the arms of the succeeding knights of Hollenburg (Gules, three lozanges in bend Argent), and their inherited arms of the Unnütz (Sable, two crossed racing relays, Or, surmounted with two pointed red-white streamers).
The family, that dwelt at this castle, bore thereafter the name Hollenburg, belonging to the Carantanian class of freemen (svobodini, Freie). Their first member, mentioned in the records from 1125, was Swiker I. He had two sons: Reginher, who dwelt at castle Dobernik (Touernik, later called Steuerberg) near Feldkirchen - Trg, and Swiker II, residing at Hollenburg. With Swiker III the family became extinct, in 1245.
Their heirs were the seigniors of Ptuj (Pettau), who also adopted their arms († 1438). At the same Hollenburg castle, however, followed as owners the Stubenbergs. But around ca. 1470, they participated together with Andrew Baumkirchner in a plot against Emperor Frederic III, and therefore they lost the castle, which in 1472 was occupied by the Emperor's man Balthasar Weißbriach. In 1483, the Emperor appointed as administrator of the castle his partisan Gandolf of Kühnburg. Since 1515, the owner was Sigmund Dietrichstein, and the castle remained in possession of his descendants.
Castle Hollenburg was the seat of a very important seigniory and of the provincial court. After the extinction of the first Hollenburgs, their noble servants (Edelknechte), who since 1252 were castellans, inhabited the castle. They adopted the name of Hollenburg, too. Thereafter, other knights and nobles occupied the castellan's office. In 1369 it was administered by Konrad Raumschüssel, followed by Hans Portendorf and Frederic Saurau, in 1436 by Moritz Mordax, and, in the period of the Baumkirchner rebellion, by Hans Metnitz. The latter was a companion of the then castle owners Stubenbergs.
The knight family, who continued to bear the name Hollenburg, made their career separate. They occupied some important posts in public administration. In 1414, for example, Georg Hollenburg was vice-dominus of Carinthia. A line of this family, who, together with the seigniors of Ptuj went to Styria, inherited also the very interesting arms of the Unnütz family.
In 1348, a strong earthquake occurred in Carinthia and destroyed the Hollenbureg castle, but it was soon rebuilt and, in the course of the centuries, some parts, as for example the chivalric hall, were added. Today, the castle is one of the most important architectonic monuments of Carinthia.
Castle Gamberk (Gallenberg)
Today, only a ruin bears witness of the one-time powerful Gamberk or Gallenberg castle.
On the right, we see also the arms of the family Gallenberg. On the left, the arms of the families Lichtenberg and Rasp.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today, the ancient Gamberk (Gallenberg) is a ruin of a castle, standing high on a hill (572 m) between the city of Zagorje and the borough of Izlake, east of Ljubljana. In historical records, the castle was first mentioned in 1248. It pertained to the Gallenbergs, who were one of the most visible and important family in Carniola (Kranjska).
One alleges, that the family Gallenberg originally came from Bavaria as ministeriales of the margraves Andechs in the 12th century, (cf. Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol. 3, 1989). But there are no records to verify this statement. Such an explanation obviously was, and still is, the result of an ideological atmosphere created in the 2nd half of the 19th century, which lasted until today. This type of explanation was carried out by writers, like E. Oefele (1877) and F. Schumi (1883), who lived in a period, when families with German roots were in "fashion" in contrast to the awakening of pan-Slavism. Later, such a thesis statement was willingly adopted by the Southern Slav movement, as to depict the "millenary" German yoke over Slovenians. They should have had only "German" nobility, which should have represented the yoke from which the Slovenian people were rescued by their so-called Southern Slav brethren, not earlier then at the end of the WW1.
Anyway, the thesis concerning a certain ministerial "Gallo by name", who apparently arrived from Bavaria to serve in the suite of the Andechs, the margraves of Carniola (12th century), remains without proof. The Gallenbergs must have been an indigent family. Their name presents the German written form of "gol" (nude, treeless, in Slovenian), thus a "treeless hill", on which the castle was built. The original Slovenian name was probably Goli or Goli vrh (a treeless summit), written as Gall. The passage of the vocal o into a is very common in German writing, when it deals with non-German names.
Moreover, this family was first called Minkendorf, after their castle in Mekinje (Minkendorf) near the city of Kamnik. There, Siegfried Minkendorf - Gallenberg (1277 - 1301) and his consort Elisabeth of Vranja pec (Rabensberg) even founded a monastery for the Poor Clares. The family owned several castles over the years and achieved high ranking positions in the administration of the Duchy of Carniola. In 1723, for example, Weichard Gallenberg was governor of Carniola. The last male member of the family died in the 2nd half of the 19th century.
In ca. 1440, castle Gallenberg changed hands, because John Gallenberg collaborated with the Counts of Celje in an unsuccessful plot against Emperor Frederic III. Due to this event, the Emperor seized his castle and estate, and gave it to other families.
|
Gallenberg castle, a picture by Valvasor (1679). On the left, a stamp with the logo of the castle issued in 1996 by the Slovenian Postal Service for the 700 year anniversary of first written records of the city of Zagorje on the Sava River. |
|
| In the middle of the 16th century the castle came into possession of James Lamberg and was reconstructed. It reached its highest reputation in the 17th century, when Paul Rasp, the manager of the Idria Mine, set up a stock exchange for mercury in the castle, which made it an important trading centre between north and south. The Rasp or Rašp familiy originated from Carinthia (13th century). - Nevertheless, the global renovations carried out by Baron Lichtenberg at the end of the 17th century, could not revitalize the castle. It was abandoned and gradually fall into decay. Today, only a ruin is left of the once so great castle. |
Kozlov rob
The Ancient Castle of Tolmin
|
Panoramic view on the city of Tolmin, situated under the hill of Kozlov rob (428 m). In the right hand corner above we see the original civic arms of the town, which appeared first on a seal ca. 1885. In sense of the wrongly understood meaning of the name, it depicts the hill with a billy-goat and below it, the confluence of the rivers Soca and Tolminka. |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Castle Kozlov rob (428 m), Bockstein in German documents, was built a long time ago on top of the hill above Tolmin (201 m) in the upper Soca (Isonzo) Valley. The meaning of its name has been connected with "billy-goat" (kozel), which is however only a tautology. It is not a "billy-goat rock", but seen from above, it has the shape of a goat's back, which reminds us of several other names in Slovenia: Kozjak, Kozjansko and similar. All these words have their origin in the Indo-European language. Italians call the picturesque hill in the centre of the Tolmin basin Pan di Zucchero (sugarloaf).
In the Middle Ages, Tolmin was the centre of a county, which comprised the area of the upper Soca Valley. The county pertained to the Patriarch of Aquileia (Friuli). He had his summer residence in Tolmin, which still today is called the Dvor (court). The custodian of the Patriarch's properties was called a gastaldo. But there was also an administrator of the county, who had his seat at the castle and the rank of a captain. These offices were entrusted to several Friulian nobles: Attems, Manzano, Cusani and others, and, for a longer period, Cucagna and Della Torre (Thurn).
Drawing of the castle Kozlov rob above Tolmin, done by the Austrian engineer Pieroni, 17th century.
In 1388, the Patriarch gave Tolmin county in pledge to the town of Cividale, and the chapter of the city's cathedral of Mary's Assumption passed to the regional church administration. In that period, the Count of Goerz occupied Tolmin more then once. He appointed his own captain, the noble Paul Bojan (Boiani). Nevertheless, the Goerz' were always forced to return the county to Cividale.
In 1420, Venice occupied the Patriarch's duchy of Friuli, and at the same time the Tolmin county was re-occupied by the Count of Goerz. In 1430, he even appointed a member of the Dornberg family as captain. But in the following years, it probably was feebleness, that made the Goerz' render the county to Cividale, which was under the protection of Venice, and continued to carry out its power in Tolmin county. As their representative they appointed the nobles of Formentini. In 1500, the Goerz family died out, and their possessions were inherited by the Habsburgs. In 1508, war broke out between the Habsburgs and Venice. Then, castle Kozlov rob revealed its full strategic importance. However, already in 1511 it was destroyed by an earthquake and was rebuilt after ca. 80 years.
|
Reconstruction of the castle after Pieroni's drawing, realized by archeol. Beatrice Zbona Trkman and Boris Blazko. |
|
The arms of the families of the seigniors of Tolmin: |
|
Top left: 1) Patriarch of Aquileia, 2) Formentini
|
|
Bottom left: Dornberg
|
|
Top right: Coronini
|
|
Bottom right: Breuner |
|
| After the war with Venice, which ended in 1516, the Dornberg family was bestowed with the seigniory of Tolmin. But the appointed captains descended from other noble families. In 1607, Vitus Dornberg appeared also as captain of Tolmin, and since then both offices were associated into one. In 1626, the Breuners, a family from Styria, became the new seigniors and captains of Tolmin. Nevertheless, already in 1651 they sold the office to the Coronini family, who maintained it until the middle of the 19th century, when the feudal administration was suspended. - The Coroninis built a new administration palace in Tolmin, and abandoned the castle on the hill, which gradually fell into decay. |
Tabor Djekše
And other well preserved Tabors in eastern Carinthia
Present-day tabor of Djekše (Djex), painting by Peter Fister
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The village of Djekše (Diex, in German) is found on the hillside, in the heart of Svinja hillock (Saualpe), 1152 m high above the sea, in eastern Carinthia (Austria). It is the most northern locality, where still a Slovenian dialect is widely spoken. This village was mentioned in the records already in 895, which means that it was an important site in the then still prevailing agrarian Carantania (Carnthia).
Reconstruction of the original building of the Djekše tabor, by Peter Fister
Its village church, dedicated to St. Martin, originates from the 12th century. It is possible that it was encircled by a wall since its origin. Nevertheless, in the 15th century, when the Turks began to invade Carantanian lands (Inner Austria), the walls were reconstructed as a peasant's fort called "tabor". This fort has been preserved until today. The well-known chronicler Unrest reports, that in 1478 Turks arrived on their incursion in Carinthia and pushed forward to Djekše. But they obviously were unable to conquer the tabor. For better security, people started to rebuild the tabor into a more solid fort. Walls were elevated and two towers were erected inside the compound. In addition, a third very large tower was placed above the entrance. The tabor was surrounded by a moat, which is filled up today.
The well preserved tabor of Krcanje (Greutschach)
On the hillsides of Svinja hillock other tabors are preserved as well, all descending from the 15th century. On the western side we find Bistrica (Hochfeistritz), built around the church of Our Lady, which burnt down in 1478. After that incidence a powerful tabor was constructed around the church. On the eastern side of Svinja another well preserved tabor exists in the village of Kneza (Grafenbach) harbouring the church of St. Maud from the 13th century. Not far from it, in the village of Krcanje (Greutschach) we encounter the picturesque tabor from 1237 around the church, dedicated to St. Martin as well. - Among other tabors in eastern Carinthia, should be mentioned the one in the village of Vecna vas (Wackelsdorf) not far from Pliberk (Bleiburg). It was a very imposing fort around the church, which was consecrated to St. Martin, too.
Reconstruction of the tabor in Vecna vas (Wackelsdorf) near Pliberk (Bleiburg), by Peter Fister
Gornji grad
Why "gornji" (upper) castle?
The view on Gornji grad with its great cathedral. On the right, the arms of the Oberburg family.
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today, this borough in the upper basin of Savinja (Sann), in Lower Styria, is kwnon for its very large structured cathedral, which is consecrated to St. Hermagoras and Fortunatus, the martyrs of Aquileia in the late Roman era. In he following period of Carantania, this borough, situated on the road to Kamnik (Stein) in Carniola, must have been an important strategic fort.
At first sight, it seems that its Slovenian name "Gornji grad" is a literal translation of the German name Oberburg, which would make sense. But the German name is somewhat unusual for this site, because the "burg" (castle) is not properly situated "oberhalb" (or "on top", "upper"). Therefore, it is more likely, that the name derives from the Slovenian word obora meaning a place, which in the pre-castle period was fortified with palisades, later with walls. The appellate "ober" appears also in connection with other names like Ober Cilli, Ober Radkersburg, Ober Mureck... It seems to have the same original meaning. In the 12th century the first castles were built, and very probably a castle (grad, in Slovenian) must have existed at this place.
The well-known minnesinger Der von der Oberburg
The strategic position of Gornji grad is confirmed by the fact, that the presence of a castellan has been mentiond in the records in 1257. He was called Volker Oberburg, and was followed by a certain Herman Oberburg, who probably was his son. In the same century the records mention a member of this knightly family, called Der von der Oberburg. He was a well-known minnesinger, and wrote poems in German language.
In the following century, the family Oberburg moved to south-western Carniola, now pertaining to Littoral. In 1395, a certain John Oberburg is castellan of Prem castle in the proximity of the borough Ilirska Bistrica. Much later, the members of the family advanced to barons, and owned several castles for instance, Prestranek, Trnovo (Ilirska Bistrica) and Zemon. The last member of the family, Franz Xaver, died in 1803.
When in 1461 the See of Ljubljana was founded, its territory was limited only to the Ljubljana city and surroundings, and Gornji grad. All bordering territory was possession of the church of Aquileia. Gornji grad became the second residence of the Bishops of Ljubljana. The present-day cathedral had been built on the site of an older church, in 1752.
Castle Rubije
An ancient Fort under the Karst escarpment
Castle Rubije above the Vipava River, as it was before the WW1 (painting by Oskar Vizintin)
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Castle Rubije (Rubbia, in Italian), which was destroyed during the WW1 and currently undergoes extensive reconstruction, sits on an elevation above the Vipava River, on the edge of the Gorica (Gorizia, Goerz) plain. High above the castle extends the Karst plateau, and not far from it to the west the Vipava River joins the Soca (Isonzo). The Friulian plain spreads still onward toward the west and belonged to Italy before the WW1, whereas the province of Gorica was under Austria. After the outbreak of the war between the two countries, in 1915, castle Rubije soon was pulled down by the projectiles of the guns.
The height of the castle enjoys a strategic position. At least a guard post must have existed here already in pre-historic times, because not far from this location, also on the edge of the Karst, the remainders of two castellars were discovered, originating from the Bronze Age. In the Roman era, the strategically very important bridge over the Soca River, called Pons Sonti, was found in the close proximity. The street from Aquileia toward Emona (Ljubljana) passed the bridge and connected Italy with the province of Pannonia. Thus, it must be concluded that in those days a specula (Roman watch guard) must have existed on the castle's hill.
After the downfall of the Roman Empire (476) and after ca. a century of the Ostrogothic domain, in 568, the Lombards occupied Italy. They founded their kingdom there, and the Duchy of Friuli as well as the Gorica plain became part of it. But the Karst pertained to Carantania, and the Vipava River below very probably made the frontier. In this case, a Carantanian fort must have existed on the place, where Castle Rubije is standing now. Anyway, we don't have records to verify this and no corresponding archaeological excavations have been carried out on the hill.
No information has been handed down of the first fortress built on this site. The area of Rubije did not pertain to the Counts of Goerz, it belonged to the seigniory of Devin (Duino). The ancient Castle of Rubije was certainly the property of the Patriarch of Aquileia, who gave it in fief to his vassals. And the vassals were very probably the seigniors of Devin themselves.
|
The house with the balcony at the Cathedral Square (Stolni trg), from which Primus Truber preached to the nobles and citizens of Gorica (Gorizia), in 1563. On the right, Trubar's portrait. |
In the 15th century, the Counts of Thurn (della Torre) erected a new Renaissance building on the place of the ancient castle. They are the first known owners, who possessed it in the following century also. In 1563, when Georg Thurn was captain of the Gorician Province, an influential noble there, Baron Hanibal Eck of Hungrispach, invited the Protestant preacher Primus Truber, the "Slovenian Luther", in order to hold sermons for the nobles and citizens of Gorica. Truber, who had a good relationship with Hans Ungnad, his protector, said to him: "In Gorica, I delivered sermons in German, Slovenian and Italian for 14 days successively in the house of the Ecks, and in the castle of Rubije, ..."
But from Vienna arrived the order of his arrest. Then, Truber withdrew himself to the Thurn's castle in Rubije. He must have dwelt there for several months, because he signed his letters as "preacher of Rubije". When another arrest order arrived, Truber left Rubije and he quietly departed riding through the Vipava Valley toward Ljubljana.
Soon after, the castle was sold to the noble Angel James Edling, and before the end of the century, it was resold to Count Cyprian Coronini. At that time, the territory already pertained to the Habsburgs, i.e., to Austria. In 1615, a second war broke out between the Habsburgs and Venice, which, after the decline of the patriarchal, possessed nearby Friuli. Castle Rubije was the seat of Gen. Adam von Trautmannsdorf, the commander of the Habsburg troops.
|
The ruins of Castle Rubije in the period after the WW2. The castle is now being restored by Venko Cernic. |
|
To the right, two arms of the Thurns or Della Torre, the arms of the Edlings and of the Coroninis. |
|
| During the French occupation, after 1800, the castle was occupied by French troops. After their retreat in 1815, it was returned to the Coroninis. But in 1872, they sold it to Baron Bianchi, whose family owned it also after its destruction by the WW1. In the period after the WW2, the ruins became property of the Comune of Sovodnje (Savogna), in whose territory they were. In 1955, the comune sold it to Venceslav Cernic, who began to restore the castle. |
Castle Crni grad
A Guard at the Drava River
|
Castle Crni grad (Neudenstein) on the left bank of the Drava River near Völkermarkt - Velikovec (Carinthia), with the arms of the Aufensteins. |
Dr. Jožko Šavli
This castle is found on the left bank of the Drava River, 15 km away from the city of Völkermarkt - Velikovec (Carinthia). In 1329, Duke Henry of Carinthia, from the family of Gorez-Tyrol, granted permission to the marshal and governor of Carinhita, Konrad of Aufenstein, to build a castle there. It entered the records by the name of Neydenstein (Neudenstein). However, the Slovenian speaking population of this area called it Crni grad right from the start. This original name "Crni grad" verbally means "black castle". But the etymon "crni" is nothing else then an abbreviation of the word "carni" (pronounce: tcharni), which means "on guard". Thus, it was a guard castle, guarding sailing-vessels on the Drava, and has nothing to do with some "Schwarzes Schlößl", as such an appellation was also translated in German.
Arms of the Aufensteins, from the "Wappenbuch der österr. Herzöge" (15th century)
The Aufensteins were of Tyrolian origin, and they ascended to important positions in Carinthia on behalf of their protectors and ruling dukes of this area, who pertained to the Goerz-Tyrol family. In 1335, when Carinthia was taken over by the Habsburgs, they soon became their adversaries. Konrad of Aufenstein lost his rank († 1341). However, Frederic of Aufenstein became once more governor in 1360 - 1362. Then, the power of the family went into decline over a short period of time. In 1368, castle Crni grad was already property of the Carinthian duke, who was at that time Rudolph IV of Habsburg. He gave it in pledge to the Bishop of Gurk (Krka). In 1587, it was taken over by Georg Khevenhüller. Later, it came into possession of Hans Khemeter of Tyben. Today, it is privately owned by the Comelli-Stuckenfeld family.
Tabor Trbiz
Built after the Turkish Invasion of 1478
Reconstruction of Trbiz Tabor (by P. Fister)
Dr. Jožko Šavli
Today, the strategic borough Trbiz (Tarvis in German, Tarvisio in Italian, 750 m), which is to be found in the Kanal Valley (Valcanale, Kanaltal), pertains to Italy. Until the WW1, it was part of Carinthia. The peculiarity of the traditional Carinthian landscape can still be seen, albeit the fact that it was seriously damaged by several soulless Italian constructions. Above the borough, we see the church of Svete Višarje (Maria Luschari, 1766 m), the famous pilgrimage surrounded by the peaks of the western Julian Alps. In Trbiz there are still two towers preserved of the one-time tabor, which encircled the parish church.
There, in 1478, the first very great Turkish invasion was carried out in Slovenian lands (Inner Austria, Carantania). Turkish troops arrived in Gorica after marching through Croatia and Carniola. From there, they continued without hindrance toward north through the Soca Valley, they passed the Predil Pass (1156 m) and entered Kanal Valley near Trbiz. In the nearby gorge of Vrata (Thörl), through which the road leads to the heart of Carinthia, a group of courageous peasants tried to stop them. But they were only a small group confronting 30,000 Turks, and were defeated. Then, the Turks invaded and devastated Carinthia.
Zila Rosary from the church of Our Lady (Marija v Grapi) near Blace (Vorderberg) in the surroundings of Hermagor (Šmohor)
They arrived through the Zila Valley (Gailtal) far towards the west, and they even plundered the hidden church of Our Lady near Blace (Vorderberg), called Marija v Grapi (Maria Graben). Today, this pilgrimage church is well-known for its beautiful rosary (17th century) called Zila Rosary: it hangs from the church ceiling, carved out of wood, encircling the figures of Mary and the angels.
Picture of Turkish invasion of 1492 in the chapel of Sele (Zell)
|
| After this invasion, several tabors were erected in the surroundings. Apart the one from Trbiz in the Zila Valley, the church of Bistrica (Feistritz) was built and fortified above the village of the same name. At the entrance to the Zila Valley, another tabor was erected in Šteben (St. Stefan) near Bekštanj (Finkenstein). - Later, there were other Turkish invasions in Carinthia, but the country was already better prepared and equipped. An interesting picture of such an invasion, of 1492, is depicted in an image from the chapel of Sele (Zell), a hamlet in the Karavanke mountains. |
Repen Tabor
In the outskirts of Trieste
Repentabor (418 m) with the church of Mary's Assumption
Dr. Jožko Šavli
The official name is Repentabor (Monrupino, in Italian). But in the people's tongue it is simply called Tabor and rises above the village Repen (Rupingrande), situated on the Karst plateau, ca. 300 m above the sea at the outskirts of the port of Trieste. From the tabor hill (418 m) a beautiful view opens onto the Gulf of Trieste. Repentabor is the formal centre of a Slovenian community with the same name in the province of Trieste, i.e., on the Italian side of the Karst area. It is the smallest among the communities in the district, including the villages of Col (Zolla) and of Repnic (Rupinpiccolo).
On this hill, a castellar existed already in the 12th century BC, i.e., in the Bronze ages and then also in the Iron ages. The walls of this castellar, which still can be seen partly, have a length of 16 km. One believes that the hill was also inhabited in the Roman era. But, we neither have a witness to verify this, nor the period after the decline of the Roman Empire. However, it was discovered, that in 911, meaning the period of the Hungarian invasions, a tabor very probably exited here, and the hill had to be fortified also in the following centuries. It had a very important defence function during the Turkish incursions, in the 15th century. In that period, it became a powerful construction: the height of its walls reached 7 m, the entrance was watched from a tower (which today disappeared). At times of peril, it offered shelter to people and cattle.
Like in all Slovenian tabors, a shrine too, must have existed there at one time. It was attested as a chapel since 1316, dedicated to Mary's Assumption. - An ancient legend goes as follows:
According to an ancient legend, a herdsman decided to build a little church on this place. He began to construct a wall, and late in the evening, he went to bed. But the next morning, the wall was destroyed, and he realized that it was the work of the devil. But that did not intimidate him, in the contrary, he reconstructed the wall again. And to his great surprise, he found a beautiful church there the following day, all finished and completed. There was Mary herself, who hindered the work of the devil. The imprint of her foot can still be seen in the stone soil of the church courtyard.
Plan of the tabor:
A) church - B) tower remains - C) buildings of 16th century - D) the ancient entrance - E) the present day entrance"
In 1512, the present-day church was built on the chapel's place. It was rebuilt anew in the 18th century, and in 1802 the powerful belfry of 19 m was finished. The very nice picture "Mary with Child" in the chief altar is the work of a certain Candido, and originates from 1794. From that period originate also the frescos in it. Beside the church, an ancient municipal house was also built within the tabor walls. It is a simple, but very suggestive construction roofed with stone slabs. On the stone arch of the parish house, also there, the year 1559 is engraved.
Mary with Child - the picture on the chief altar
|
| During the summer months the Repentabor serves as centre for numerous cultural events. The best known among them is certainly the "Carsic Wedding" that is celebrated there every second year in August. The celebrations last for four days, and attain climax on the day of the wedding, officiated according the ancient Slovenian local tradition. Many visitors are invited to participate wearing local traditional costumes, and on the days of this special occasion the village inns offer typical Carsic specialities. |
