Photos

I try to show you something proven solid and reliable in these turbulent days of world financial crisis - such as an 850 years old castle that witnessed even more serious periods.

Burg Güssing is a castle in southern Burgenland, Austria. (Click on the map left to see its location.) In 1157 Hungarian King Géza II called Count Wolfer, probably coming from Hainburg on the Danube, to Güssing and presented him with "mountain Kyscen" and the surrounding area. The first "wooden castle" and monastery is being said to be built by Count Wolfer, it is thought though that the first building owners of castle and monastery were the Benedictines. It was King Béla III who built a strong castle of stone, as documented in 1198. In 1272 Heinrich II from the dynasty of the "Counts of Güssing" and a descendant of the first owner Wolfer has been documented as new owner of Güssing. This is the same dynasty that played an important role in Kőszeg and owned the castle of Lockenhaus. In 1459 those Magnates who were not satisfied with the election of Matthias Corvinus, had crowned Emperor Frederick III to King of Hungary at the castle of Güssing, by This however remained without success and in the end Újlaki had to pay homage to King Matthias Corvinus.

Finally, on June 30, 1524, Francis I, Batthyány (1497 – 1566) received Castle Güssing consisting of dominion and control of at that time already – 60 villages, from his friend of his youth, King Ludwig II. This was a reward for Francis’ heroic defense of the fortress of Jaicza against the Turks. From that time on Güssing became the main residence and “ancestral castle” of the Batthyánys and from then on Güssing was enlarged to a proper fortress against the Turkish enemy with a consistent building activity. Since then the name Batthyány is inseparable with the past, present, and future of castle Güssing. (The same aristocrat dynasty of which you can read under my former photo here.) Today the castle is operated by the Prince Philipp Batthyány-Strattmann foundation. Its trustee is the respective chef de famille currently Ladislaus Pascal Batthyány-Strattmann who together with an administrator of the government of Burgenland, currently Dr. Janics, manages the foundation.

In the WS you can see one of the gates with bastion.