Burg Krems is a castle in Styria, Austria. Burg Krems is above sea level.
The ruins of Krems Castle are located east of the municipality of Voitsberg in Styria in the district of Krems. The history of the castle dates back to the 11th or 12th century, when the Archbishop of Salzburg had it built. It was first mentioned in a document in 1248. Krems was owned several times by larger noble families, who, however, usually entrusted caretakers or administrators with the administration of the dominion. In the 14th century Krems held the lower jurisdiction and in the 16th century the castle was expanded into a Renaissance palace with a zoo. In the 17th century, Count Karl Saurau acquired the estate and merged it with his dominion of Ligist. After transferring the administration to Ligist Castle in 1730, he neglected Krems and left it to decay. In 1817, part of the castle slid down after a rainstorm. In 1857 it was bought by Archduke Johann.
On 20 March 1936, the ruins were declared a listed building and the site was secured and made accessible. A castle association carried out renovation work in the 1960s. Since 1988, Krems Castle has been owned by the association Licht im Leben (Light in Life). Since 1993, it has been restored by the newly founded castle association. Among other things, a path was built around the ruins and the keep was made accessible again. A small museum room opened in May 2015 shows the history of Krems Castle.
The castle complex is the ruin of a hilltop castle on an advanced ridge. The five-storey keep built on a rock is a prominent feature of the castle and can be seen from afar. In the south of the complex is a residential tower with two adjoining residential buildings. A ring wall runs around the entire area, some of which has embrasures. The outer castle in front of the core castle to the north is considered the youngest part of the complex. It has two small corner towers, one of which has been preserved in its full height.
Name
The name Krems does not originate from the Slavic language like other place names from the immediate vicinity, but is probably of older origin. According to local historian Walter Kienreich, the name could derive from the Indo-Germanic (s)krem, the Illyrian Kremisia or the Celtic Chremisa. All these words mean something like sharp, cutting, sharp stone or rocky cliff. This could refer to the ridge on which the castle is situated and which forces the Kainach into a narrow valley.
Location
The castle ruins stand on high settlement land, a ridge south of Thallein that advances towards the Kainach. The ridge slopes steeply to the east, south and west and has been separated from the hinterland by a deep cut since the extension of the Kainach valley road. The steep slopes were partly artificially embanked and the terrain surrounding the ruin was prepared for defence in sections by artificial interventions. However, these artificial interventions in the terrain have been partly destroyed by a recently constructed circuitous path. To the north, a sectional ditch separates the castle area from the hinterland. This ditch is spanned by a modern bridge, the remains of which have been preserved.
History
Perhaps as early as the 11th century, at the latest in the middle of the 12th century, a simple fortified building, probably made of wood, was erected on the site of today's castle by order of the Archbishop of Salzburg. A knightly dynasty of Krems is first mentioned around 1150. Probably at the beginning of the 13th century, the wooden building was replaced by one made of stone. After Otto's death in 1234, the castle passed via his widow to Hartnit von Rabenstein, who had it administered by his servants, who called themselves after the castle. In 1248, the castle is first mentioned by name as castrum Chremse, as it served as the seat of a noble assembly at which Ulrich von Wildon mediated a settlement between Admont Abbey and Hartnid, Schänken von Rannstein. At that time, the front part around the keep was considered a fief of the Archbishop of Salzburg, while the rear or southern part of the castle was a freehold of the lord of the castle. [3] Since the Rabensteiners took part in the Styrian noble uprising, the Landsberg League, against Duke Albrecht, they lost all their possessions, and Krems came to the Lords of Walsee around 1300, who appointed castle lords. In 1363, Eberhard V of Walsee sold the castle to Leutold of Stadeck. After the Stadeckers died out, the Counts Haug and Ulrich of Montfort came into possession of the castle by marriage around 1400. As the indebted Counts of Montfort had to sell goods, the castle and the dominion came into the possession of Baron Sigmund Friedrich von Herberstein in 1589.