Weitmoser Schlössl

Weitmoser Schlössl History

The castle is closely associated with the Weitmoser family. The first to be mentioned here is Hans Weitmoser, who can be verified as the owner of various properties in the Gastein Valley since 1518, such as B. l'Eliasgütl and the Maurachlehen zu Hundsdorf. Hans Weitmoser was also one of the leaders of the Salzburg peasant revolt; for this he apologized and was welcomed back by the ruler Matthäus Lang. In 1518 he also acted as commissioned commissioner on behalf of the archbishop in a mining dispute. This Hans was also able to buy shares of the mine and appears to have been lucky to drive his tunnels on the Radhausberg. Heir was his son Christoph Weitmoser in 1526. He enrolled at the University of Freiburg in Breisgau in 1522. When he took over his inheritance, he also had to take on about 10,000 debtor florins; the sovereign helped the young Christoff with a loan of 100 "imperials". Around 1530 he himself was able to extract rich ore through the tunnel "to our wife" and pay off his debts. In the period from 1554 to 1560, it is estimated that it was able to extract about 300 kg of gold and about 1200 kg of silver per year. Christoff Weitmosers were among the financiers of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol and Duke Ernst of Bavaria.

Around 1538 he bought the old Goldeckhof (also known as Goldegger Hof). An inscription plaque shows that the Goldeckhof was set on fire in 1553 and was rebuilt within two months the following year. This building exists today as the north wing of the entire complex. Weitmoser received the title of Imperial Council as early as 1552, but failed to achieve inclusion in the Salzburger Landtafel, even though he was already a Bavarian noble through the acquisition of Hofmark Winkl. In 1555 he wrote a formal request to the sovereign of Salzburg, in which he expressed the wish that Archbishop Michael would raise him to the position of knight. This too was granted him.

After the economically very successful death of Christoph Weitmoser, the Weitmoser family declined, also because the immense fortune (320,000 florins) had to be divided between three sons and four daughters from their marriage to Elisabeth Vötzl in 1531. The decline of the family is also reflected in a hiking legend of ascent and discomfort, which is not only widespread in the Gastein Valley, up to the displacement of the wedding veil, but which is only marginally linked to real facts.

The property was bought in 1606 by Hanns Leykhofer and in 1621 by Georg, Hans, Jacob and Kunigung Leykhofer. From 1624 Hanns and Kunigundt were the owners. They built a brick Stöckhl recently with the two round cores on the eastern edges of the building. In 1628 the altar of the palace chapel was consecrated on the first floor of the new building. As a Protestant, Leykofer had to leave the State of Salzburg and the property was bought first in 1625 by Leonhart Rainpacher and in 1626 by Alexander Hölzl von Sylion and his housewife. The chapel frescoes with biblical motifs by the painter Ludwig Lindner date from the first quarter of the 17th century. On the second floor, a room with wood paneling and coffered ceiling was installed, which is wrongly called the Weitmoserstube (since this has nothing to do with the family). In 1634 Johann Riept, pastor of Haus and Schladming bought the castle. His heir was Franz Kumminger. Other owners are proven: Johann Pichler, Georg Stuchner, Franz Benedikt Hasler.

In 1752 Benedikt Niklas Scharfetter, a Scharfetter, bought the property for the first time. In 1755 Josef Anton Trauner, administrator of Hundsdorf is named the owner. Andrä Scharfetter has been the owner since 1796; since then the Scharfetter family has owned the property.

In 1850 the interior of the castle underwent a careful restoration. In 1937 the frescoes in the chapel were rediscovered and restored. In 1952 the exterior was refurbished with the addition of a coffee terrace on the south side. The year 1400 above the entrance to the oldest part of the building has no historical basis.

Today the Weitmoser café-restaurant is located here
nostalgic rooms from the 17th century form the setting for culinary delights.
Chef Franz Schnöll has been running the castle kitchen together with Haymo Hergesell since December 2016, offering Austrian cuisine of a high standard. Specialty: Pinzgauer organic veal from the castle's organic farm and game accompanied by excellent national and international wines.