Castles: Protection, Administration, and Seat of Power
Sources
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Hochstift Regensburg Documents 10 (First mention of Kufstein, 1205). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Pfalz-Neuburg Documents, Bergwerkssachen 12 (Minewerksordnung Herzog Georgs des Reichs für die Courts Kufstein, Kitzbühl and Rattenberg, 1497). State Archive Munich, Hohenaschau Acts 2759 (Direction Duke Ludwigs des Reichs to the caregivers of Kufstein, for transport and sale of cattle and goods to use only the conventional roads with the landlord customs facilities, 1468). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, Fortresses 872 (Festival Kufstein, Cross-sections, 1808). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, B Feldzüge 467 (Export for two Tyroleans, 1809). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, Plansammlung Kufstein 8 (Plan of Fortress, 1850). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, B Feldzüge 467 (list of hostages,
sent from the fortress Kufstein as Bürgen to Bavaria, 1809). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, postcard collection 1833 (View of city and fortress Kufstein in front of the Kaisergebirge in winter, approx. 1930). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Map Collection 732 (Map of the district division of Bavaria of 1808).
Points of attachment
What task did the knights have and why fascinates us their world to this day? What functions had a castle? How did the Bavarian territory develop until the end of the Holy Roman Empire? What historical events were responsible for the development? What impact does the historical development of Bavaria have on my home region? The castle in Kufstein is located in an exponed strategically important place. Their task was to monitor the opening of the narrow Inntal into the wide subland and the bridge over the Inn. It served not only to protect the road to the south, but was also an administrative centre. Today Kufstein belongs to Austria, but that was not always the case. The fortress Kufstein is mentioned for the first time in a contract: Bishop Konrad of Regensburg and Duke Ludwig of Bavaria (called “the Kelheimer”) regulate various points of dispute in 1205. The text states: “de castro chůfsteine ambo taliter statuimus, ut vel illud simul habamus vel destruamus et simul prohibeamus, ne reedificetur”. The contractual partners therefore decided that they possess and manage the castle (castrum chůfsteine). A settlement of Caofstein with a church is already mentioned much earlier, namely in a list of goods of a Salzburg bishop, the end of the 8th. century – at the time of Karl the Great – was created. Since 11. The bishops of Regensburg had the lower Inn Valley with the castle Kufstein from the Emperor to Lehen. This secured a free way to Italy by handing over the castle and its territory to a bishop. A bishop had no legitimate biological descendants and therefore no heirs, which, in competition with the emperor, could build up its own power area and make him trouble with blocking the important trade and army road to Italy. Mid-13. Kufstein reached the Duchy of Bavaria and remained Bavarian until 1506. Bavaria was divided several times in the Middle Ages. At the last division in 1392 the Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt, Bavaria-Landshut, Bavaria-Munich were created. Kufstein with the castle and the local court as the lowest administrative district for the surrounding area belonged to the Duchy of Bavaria-Landshut. Besides Kufstein, the regional courts of Rattenberg and Kitzbühl were Bavarian. Especially the silver mines in the Inntal were important sources of income for the Bavarian dukes residing in Landshut. The castle Kufstein played a central role for a long time. From here, the region rich in natural resources was managed. On the castle there was a guardian who the Bavarian Duke used. Most of the time this was a nobleman who had received orders from the Duke and had to ensure that they were implemented and followed. A mining order regulated the degradation and prevention of silver from the Tyrolean mines. With regulations, the Duke normed the trade of goods and cattle. The commercial road ran through the Inntal to Augsburg. An important function of the castle was the protection of the commercial road. Travel in past times was not harmless. Surpluses were all day. A castle was a retreat and gathering place for armed troops. The population of the surrounding area could also retreat to the castle in times of crisis. In 1504, in the Landshut succession war and again in 1703, in the Spanish succession war, the castle Kufstein was the scene of bitter struggles. In the Landshut War of Succession (1504/1505), the Kurpfälzische Wittelsbacher and the dukes of Bavaria-Munich fought for the Duke Georgs von Bayern-Landshut. Emperor Maximilian I ended the hereditary dispute with a verdict and kept the local courts Kufstein, Kitzbühl and Rattenberg with the silver deposits for themselves. Since this time, the lower Inntal has belonged to Tyrol and no longer to Bavaria. Maximilian had the castle built into a large fortress that thrones on the rock above the Inn. Over the centuries, their significance for securing the Bavarian-Tyrol border declined. In the 19th century, she served the empire of Austria as a prison for Hungarian freedom fighters. In 1809, when Tyrol was occupied by Bavaria (see map page 8), it served as a prison for hostages delivered from Tyrol to Bavaria. Today, it houses a museum and is famous for the world's largest outdoor organ.
Course description
Methodology competence, judgment competence, orientation competence Bavarian identity, territory and cultural heritage (Gymnasium, class 8), life in the Middle Ages (Gymnasium, class 7), castles and castles from the 9th to the 18th century, for example as an expression of domination (Gymnasium, class 7), rights of man yesterday and today (Gymnasium, class 9)
Further information:
www.fest.kufstein.at/de/herz-willkommen.html
www.fest.kufstein.at/de/audio-guide.html
Julian Holzapfl, Bavarian division, published on 11.2.2013. In: Historical Lexicon of Bavaria, https://www.historical-lexikon-bayerns.de/Lexikon/Bayerische_Dictions (20.05.2019)
