Location: Carinthia
Goldenstein Castle is a medieval stronghold that is located in Carinthia state in Austria.
At this point there were two castles. Almost nothing can be seen
of the slightly higher Goldburg, remains of the lower and more
favorable Goldenstein Castle are still there. Both castles were in
the dominions of the Counts of Görtz. The oldest information about
the old gold castle dates back to 1227. The castle was partially
destroyed in a dispute between the castle owner and the Duke of
Carinthia. In 1250 the Gorizia minister Hainricus de Goltpurch sat
in the castle. 1271 an Amelricus de Goltpurch is detectable. In 1292
Alhaidis de Goltpurch sat here with his son Amelreich. The castle
appeared to have existed for some time, but fell into disrepair for
reasons unknown.
It was succeeded by the more conveniently
located Goldenstein Castle. It was first mentioned in a document in
1359. However, the castle had existed for a long time because it had
been pledged by the Gorizia to the Flaschbergers and was redeemed
this year. 1374 sat on Goldenstein Mertel von Altenhoven. Around
1390 the dominion and the court were sold to Friedrich von
Ortenburg. In 1459, in the fight for the inheritance of the Counts
of Cilli, the castle was taken and destroyed by Count John of
Gorizia. After the Peace of Pusarnitz in 1460, the castle became the
property of the Habsburgs. Goldenstein was rebuilt under Emperor
Friedrich III.
After that, it was repeatedly pledged by the
Habsburgs. So in 1496 to Simon von Ungersbach, then Simon Krell
followed as the lien holder, and this was followed by Peter Graf zu
Monsar. At the beginning of the 16th century Hans von Mandorff
followed. At that time the castle already seemed to be in a state of
decay, because in a report from 1528 Goldstein is described as
"abkhumen". In 1524 it was handed over to Gabriel of Salamanca
together with the County of Ortenburg. In 1640 the Widmann brothers
acquired the ruined castle and sold it in 1662 to Ferdinand von
Porcia, in whose family Goldenstein remained until 1918.