The Schlossberg is a massive rock of dolomitic rock and forms the core of the historic city of Graz , the capital of Styria in Austria . It lies directly on the banks of the Mur and towers 123 meters above the main square of Graz. In addition to the clock tower , the landmark of Graz, are on the Schlossberg also the bell tower, called Liesl , the Schlossberg Casemates, the 98 m deep Türkenbrunnen, all remains of the castle and a number of smaller art objects. As the core of the old town of Graz, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage City Graz - historical center and castle Eggenberg. As any self respecting or important city in Europe Graz had city walls and military towers for the defense of the city residents. During the Napoleonic troops Graz was occupied by the French troops of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. They dismantled and blew up most of the defenses in 1809. Some of the remaining towers were preserved.
The Glockenturm or the clock tower is the landmark and one of the oldest buildings in the city of Graz. The tower was mentioned as early as 1265 and contains three bells in its interior: the hour bell (oldest bell of Graz: 1382), the Poor Sinner bell of about 1450 and the fire bell (1645). It measures 28 m or 92 feet in height.
Early Medieval Fortifications (10th–15th Centuries)
The roots of
Graz's defenses trace to at least the 10th century, when a small
defensive structure stood on the Schlossberg rock ledge. By the 12th
century (around 1125), a Romanesque fortification was built here, giving
the settlement its name: the Slavic term Gradec ("little castle")
evolved into "Graz." This early fort served as the core of a feudal
estate (Meierhof) with market rights documented around 1128–1130.
In
the 13th century, as the town grew around the hill, the first city walls
enclosed the market area for protection. The Uhrturm, a key surviving
element, dates to this era (first mentioned ~1265) and functioned as a
medieval watchtower and fire lookout. It originally formed part of the
broader fortifications, with its core from the 13th century. By the late
Middle Ages, Graz developed into a walled town typical of Central
Europe, with additional towers and gates. These defenses were basic but
effective against regional conflicts.
Ottoman raids began pressuring
Styria in the 15th century (notably from 1471 onward), prompting Styrian
leaders to stockpile weapons and armor from renowned Germanic centers
like Augsburg and Nuremberg. No full-scale siege of Graz occurred, but
the raids highlighted the need for stronger defenses and influenced
later upgrades. Nearby sites like Gösting Castle complemented the
system, though the Schlossberg remained central.
Renaissance-Era
Modernization (16th Century): The Habsburg Bulwark Against the Ottomans
The 16th century marked the zenith of Graz's military architecture,
driven by Habsburg rulers of Inner Austria (centered in Graz) facing the
Ottoman Empire during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars. Under Archduke Charles
II (r. 1564–1590), the Schlossberg was transformed into a massive
Renaissance bastion fortress—the dominant European style emphasizing
angled walls to resist artillery.
Italian architect Domenico
dell'Allio (from the north of Italy, sometimes called d'Allio) led the
redesign starting around 1544. The result was a ~400-meter-long (1,300
ft) fortress complex with thick walls (up to 6 meters/20 ft in places),
multiple bastions, casemates, cisterns, and self-sufficient features for
prolonged sieges. Key elements included:
Burghers' Bastion
(Bürgerbastei): Construction began in 1551 as part of the main fortress
walls.
Stable Bastion (Stallbastei or Turkish Stable Bastion):
Featured cannon emplacements (including the "Four Evangelists" guns by
1725) and underground casemates for troops and storage.
Fernberger
Bastion (1584): Reinforced the western side under Castellan Hans
Fernberger.
Turkish Well (Türkenbrunnen): Dug 1554–1558 to 94 meters
(308 ft) deep to reach Mur River groundwater.
Large cistern: Held up
to 900,000 liters for water independence.
Powder tower (1575): At the
foot of the Stable Bastion (later destroyed).
Glockenturm (Bell
Tower): Built 1588, octagonal, 34 meters high, housing the "Liesl" bell
(4,633 kg/10,214 lbs, cast in Graz in 1587). Tradition (though debated)
links its material to Ottoman cannonballs.
Uhrturm upgrades: Its
current form dates to ~1560–1569, with clockwork refined in 1712
(unusual: large hand for hours, small for minutes).
A
cable-hauled lift operated 1528–1595 to transport materials up the steep
hill. Italian Comacini masters also modernized the city walls into a
bastion system integrated with the hill fortress. Graz became a key
logistical and command center for the Habsburg military border
(Militärgrenze) in Croatia and Slavonia, supplying troops and arms
against Ottoman advances. The fortress was never tested in a full
Ottoman siege—raids targeted surroundings, but the defenses deterred
attacks, positioning Graz as a "bulwark of faith" in Counter-Reformation
propaganda.
In 1642–1647, the Styrian Armoury (Landeszeughaus) was
erected nearby as a massive weapons depot (now a museum with ~32,000
artifacts), underscoring Graz's ongoing role in regional defense.
17th–18th Centuries: Peak, Maintenance, and Decline
The fortress
remained a Habsburg stronghold through the 17th and 18th centuries, with
the Graz Civic Corps (militia descended from medieval vigilantes)
assisting in fortification and defense duties alongside regular armies.
Under Maria Theresa, military functions centralized, reducing civic
autonomy. Ottoman threats waned after the late 17th century (e.g.,
post-1683 Vienna relief), but the complex stayed maintained.
By the
late 18th century, under Emperor Joseph II's reforms, Graz was declared
an "open city" in 1782 (or 1784). City gates stayed open, and
fortifications received no further renovations, reflecting shifting
priorities away from walled urban defense toward open, modern
administration. Some outer houses had earlier been cleared for "defense
fields" against Ottomans.
Napoleonic Wars and Destruction
(1797–1809)
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic forces occupied Graz
three times: 1797 (Napoleon visited as general), 1805, and 1809. The
1809 campaign was decisive. During the War of the Fifth Coalition, a
small Austrian garrison under Major Franz Xaver Freiherr von Hackher
defended the Schlossberg against French forces led by Jean-Baptiste
Broussier. The fortress held for months despite the Battle of Graz
(24–26 June 1809), but after Austria's defeat at Wagram and the
Armistice of Znojmo (later formalized in the Treaty of Schönbrunn), it
surrendered.
Napoleon's troops then razed the mighty fortress in late
1809, blowing up walls, bastions, and casemates. Citizens of Graz paid a
large ransom to spare the Uhrturm and Glockenturm (and their bells),
which remain standing today. The Hackher Lion monument honors the final
defender. This ended Graz's role as a primary military stronghold.
19th Century to Present: Conversion and Later Adaptations
In the
19th century, the ruined hill was landscaped. Baron Ludwig von Welden
transformed it into a romantic public park by 1839 (with further work in
the 1930s by Baron von Welden, adding Mediterranean gardens like the
Herbersteingarten). The plateau became a panoramic terrace (1894).
Remnants include two bastions, the Gothic fortress gate (rediscovered
1982), and the Turkish Well.
During World War II, extensive tunnel
systems were excavated inside the hill as air-raid shelters for up to
40,000 civilians. Some tunnels now serve as public paths, a funicular
access, event spaces (e.g., Dom im Berg), and the Graz Fairy Tale Train.
No significant military defense role occurred in WWI or WWII beyond
these shelters, as Austria-Hungary's frontier forts lay elsewhere (e.g.,
in the Alps or Balkans).
Today, the Schlossberg is a UNESCO-linked
heritage site (part of Graz's historic center), a popular park with
cafés, the Graz Museum Schlossberg (in former casemates), and the
Styrian Armoury museum. The funicular (Schlossbergbahn, since 1894) and
lift provide access. Traces of medieval city walls survive behind
historic houses, and some towers remain as preserved elements. Graz's
defenses symbolize its transition from a fortified Habsburg outpost to a
peaceful cultural center.
Today, three bells are still preserved in the tower: According to its inscription, the hourly bell is the oldest bell in Graz (1382) and strikes every full hour. The fire bell of 1645 warned of fire in the various districts of Graz, depending on the number of blows. The poor sinners' bell from around 1450 rang for executions, and in the 19th century for curfew, which also gave it the name of the rag bell.
In the area of the exit
to the rose garden at the foot of the clock tower, from which an
extremely impressive view opens up over Graz, there is a small, listed
memorial plaque on a wall for Gerold Walzel (1901-1988) from Villach,
Austria ), the author of the Graz student song (“Dreaming looked down
from the Schlossberg, …”).
Below the clock tower, the stone dog
keeps watch on a ledge. According to legend, in 1481 a barking dog saved
Kunigunde, the daughter of Emperor Friedrich III, from being kidnapped
by mercenaries employed by the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus, who had
previously unsuccessfully proposed to the princess. As a thank you,
Emperor Friedrich had the dog immortalized in the form of a statue.
The 34-meter-high, octagonal belfry was built in 1588 on behalf
of Archduke Charles II . In its interior is the third largest bell
of Styria, the 1587 in Graz by Martin "Mert" Hilger (1538-1601) cast
"Liesl" (by Elisabeth). It has a diameter of 197 cm and weighs 4633
kg. The bell is rung daily at 7, 12 and 19 o'clock with 101 strokes.
It is tuned to the main beat gis0. As a reason for this custom is
reported that the bell was cast out of 101 salvaged cannonballs of
the Turks. This tradition is probably not the reality, because the
"Liesl" is like most bells made of bronze, cannon balls but not.
Anyway, material was provided from the arsenal for the bell casting.
In 1809 the bell tower was spared by the French intervention by the
Graz citizens of the explosion. Under the bell tower is a dungeon
known as "Bassgeige".
On September 21, 1921, the
Schloßbergmuseum was opened in a small room on the second floor,
which remained in existence until the 1990s.