The history of the Hohenwerfen fortress

In 1077, Fortress Hohenwerfen, Fortress Hohensalzburg and the castle on Petersberg in Friesach were built under Archbishop Gebhard. The construction of Fortress Hohenwerfen was preceded by a less than pleasant time for Salzburg: Numerous political upheavals and the investiture dispute made fortifications necessary for the archbishopric. Initially, these fortified castles were probably simple wooden structures, which were subsequently generously extended and reinforced. It was not until the 15th century that Hohenwerfen had reached roughly the size of today's main castle.

After the secularization of Salzburg in 1803, the castle fell into ruin under Bavarian rule. Archduke Johann, the emperor's brother, had the medieval monument restored between 1824 and 1833 for romantic and nostalgic reasons. After that, the castle was mainly used as a hunting lodge. In 1898, Archduke Eugene bought the complex and had it converted into a royal residence with a large collection of art and weapons. In 1931, the main building of the castle was completely destroyed by fire. Archduke Eugene then almost completely rebuilt the castle with his private fortune. However, he was forced to sell Hohenwerfen to the Nazi regime as part of Austria's "Anschluss". During the Nazi era, the castle became a Gau training castle. From 1945 to 1987, it was used by the Salzburg Gendarmerie School. The fortress has been a tourist attraction since 1987.