Location: 20 km west of Kitzbühel, Tyrol Map
Itter Castle (German: Schloss Itter) is a striking 19th-century hill castle perched atop a 666-meter (2,185 ft) knoll overlooking the village of Itter in the Brixental valley of North Tyrol, Austria. Though its current form is relatively modern, the site has a layered history spanning medieval fortifications, aristocratic decay, cultural prominence, Nazi imprisonment, and one of World War II’s most extraordinary—and strangest—battles. Today it remains privately owned and closed to the public, its walls bearing silent witness to centuries of conflict and unlikely alliances.
Medieval Origins and Early Role (10th–18th Centuries)
A fortress
on this site was first documented in a 1241 deed, though earlier
structures may date to the 9th or 10th century, possibly built by
Bavarians. The castle guarded the entrance to the Brixental valley,
which originally belonged to the Prince-Bishops of Regensburg. It
served as an administrative seat (Vogtei) for the Counts of
Ortenburg, who acted as bailiffs protecting Regensburg’s estates
from incursions by the rival Archbishops of Salzburg.
In 1312 the
Brixental passed to Salzburg, and by 1380 the Regensburg bishops had
sold Itter to Archbishop Pilgrim II of Salzburg. Under the castle’s
“Burgfrieden” jurisdiction, local feuds and breaches of the peace
were prohibited. The fortress suffered major damage during the
German Peasants’ War in 1526. By the 17th century, the local
administrative center had shifted to Hopfgarten, and the castle fell
into decay. After the region briefly became part of the Kingdom of
Bavaria in 1805 (following the Napoleonic reshuffling of Europe),
the Bavarian authorities allowed it to deteriorate further; locals
used the ruins as a quarry. The Final Act of the Congress of Vienna
returned the valley to Austrian Tyrol in 1816.
19th-Century
Reconstruction and Cultural Heyday (1878–Early 1900s)
The
present-day castle rose on the medieval foundations starting in
1878. In 1884 it was purchased as a private residence by the
renowned Russian-German pianist, composer, and Franz Liszt student
Sophie Menter. Under her ownership (until 1902), Itter became a
cultural salon: Liszt himself and the young Arthur Rubinstein stayed
there, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky reportedly orchestrated one of
his compositions during a 1892 visit.
After Menter sold the
property, later owners extensively remodeled it in the Tudor Revival
style—complete with crenellated towers, arched windows, and romantic
medieval-revival detailing—giving the castle its fairy-tale
appearance today. Some accounts note it briefly served as a boutique
hotel in the early 20th century before returning to private hands.
Interwar Period and Nazi Annexation (1920s–1940)
Following
the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the castle remained
in private ownership. Its owner by the late 1930s was Franz Grüner.
After the 1938 Anschluss (Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria), the
Reich government officially leased the property in late 1940.
Initially it housed the administrative headquarters of a Nazi
anti-tobacco propaganda campaign—an ironic use for a site soon to
become a prison.
World War II: Transformation into a VIP
Prison (1943–1945)
On 7 February 1943, SS Lieutenant General
Oswald Pohl, acting on Heinrich Himmler’s orders, seized the castle
outright from Grüner. By 25 April 1943 it had been converted into a
special subcamp of Dachau concentration camp, reserved exclusively
for high-value French political and military prisoners whom the
Nazis hoped to use as bargaining chips or leverage against the
Allies.
The prisoners—mostly elderly French VIPs—lived in
relatively privileged conditions compared to regular
concentration-camp inmates (they had better food and no forced
labor), but they were still under SS guard and isolated in the Alps.
Notable inmates included:
Former French Prime Ministers Édouard
Daladier and Paul Reynaud
Generals Maurice Gamelin and Maxime
Weygand (former commanders-in-chief)
Tennis champion and Vichy
sports commissioner Jean Borotra
Right-wing Croix-de-Feu leader
(later resistance member) François de La Rocque
Trade-union
leader Léon Jouhaux
Michel Clemenceau (son of Georges Clemenceau)
Marie-Agnès de Gaulle (sister of Charles de Gaulle, interned in
April 1945)
Former President Albert Lebrun (briefly, released for
health reasons in 1943)
Eastern European forced laborers from
Dachau handled maintenance.
The Battle of Castle Itter (4–5
May 1945): The “Strangest Battle” of WWII
By early May 1945, with
the Third Reich collapsing, the regular SS guards fled. On 4 May the
former Dachau commandant Eduard Weiter arrived (and died under murky
circumstances). The prisoners armed themselves and prepared for a
last-stand defense against fanatical Waffen-SS units still operating
in the area.
A Yugoslav prisoner, Zvonimir Čučković, had earlier
escaped to seek Allied help. On 4 May, Czech cook Andreas Krobot
reached the nearby town of Wörgl and alerted Austrian resistance
fighters and Major Josef “Sepp” Gangl, a Wehrmacht officer whose
unit had defied orders to protect locals from SS reprisals. Gangl,
together with resistance leader Rupert Hagleitner, contacted U.S.
forces.
U.S. Lieutenant (later Captain) John C. “Jack” Lee Jr. of
the 23rd Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Division, volunteered for the
rescue. He led a small force—including a Sherman tank nicknamed
“Besotten Jenny”—that linked up with Gangl’s defecting Wehrmacht
troops, Austrian resistance, and even SS-Hauptsturmführer
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader (an SS officer who had befriended the
prisoners and now defected to protect his family). The French
prisoners themselves took up arms.
On 5 May, roughly 100–200
soldiers of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division “Götz von
Berlichingen” attacked the castle. The defenders—Americans, renegade
Germans, Austrians, and armed French VIPs—fought side-by-side. The
Sherman tank was destroyed by an 88 mm gun, Gangl was killed while
shielding Paul Reynaud, and the castle sustained damage. French
prisoner Jean Borotra made a daring dash in a U.S. uniform to summon
reinforcements. By late afternoon, troops of the U.S. 142nd Infantry
Regiment arrived; the SS were defeated and about 100 captured.
This remains the only documented battle of World War II in which
U.S. troops and German Wehrmacht soldiers fought as allies against
the Waffen-SS. It is often called the “strangest battle of World War
II.”
Post-War Years and Present Day
After liberation the
castle fell into disrepair. In 1950 Austrian entrepreneur Willi
Woldrich bought it and turned it into a luxury hotel, but financial
difficulties forced its sale to a holding company. In 1985 it passed
to private ownership—attorney Dr. Ernst Bosin of Kufstein—and has
remained a private residence ever since. It is not open to the
public, though an informational display near the entrance recounts
its dramatic history.
The castle’s exterior still evokes its
romantic 19th-century Tudor Revival style, now partially covered in
ivy and solar panels, set against the dramatic Tyrolean Alps.
The site’s medieval origins shaped its core defensive character:
A fortress existed by the 9th–13th centuries (possibly as early as
after 900 CE) as a border stronghold (Grenzfeste) against the
Archbishopric of Salzburg. It included at least two Bergfriede
(tower keeps, typically tall, defensible structures with minimal
openings) and a ring wall (Ringmauer).
Destroyed in 1526 during
the Peasants’ War, it was rebuilt in 1532 but fell into ruin by the
late 18th century. Locals quarried its stones, leaving only
foundations and remnants of the keeps and connecting wing by the
19th century.
In 1878, Munich entrepreneur Paul Spieß
purchased the ruins for 3,000 gulden and constructed the current
main building directly on the medieval Grundmauern (foundation
walls). The goal was a grand Prachtbau (magnificent edifice)
initially intended as a 50-room Fremdenpension (guest house), though
this venture failed. The design embraced the era’s romantic
historicism, evoking a fortified manor while preserving the hilltop
defensibility.
Major 1902 remodeling under owner Eugen Meyer
(with possible involvement of Berlin architect Max Knörnschild)
transformed it into its present form: neo-Gothic (pointed arches,
crenellations, vertical emphasis) blended with Tudor Revival touches
(asymmetrical massing, decorative elements evoking English
late-medieval manor houses). Modern upgrades included electric
lighting and contemporary sanitary facilities, making it a luxury
Belle Époque hotel. Later owners added artistic interiors for
displaying paintings and sculptures (notably under Franz Gruener in
1925).
Post-WWII damage from the 1945 Battle of Castle Itter
(artillery strikes) led to repairs. Subsequent owners (e.g.,
hotelier Wilhelm Woldrich) added practical features like an outdoor
swimming pool and expanded garage. The ring wall underwent
restoration in 2007–2009. Today, it is a lived-in private residence
with some modern adaptations (e.g., solar panels visible on roofs)
while retaining its historic character.
Overall Layout and
Defensive Features
As a classic Hügelburg, the castle exploits
its elevated, naturally fortified position on a steep knoll
surrounded by wooded slopes and ravines (with possible remnants of a
dry moat). The layout is compact and roughly rectangular or
irregular, centered around a courtyard, with a clear progression
from outer defenses to inner residential core:
Outer defenses: A
ring wall (Ringmauer) encloses the complex, with Zwingeranlagen
(outer bailey or ward defenses) from 19th/20th-century additions for
enhanced romantic fortification.
Gatehouse (Torbau): Prominently
flanked by Rondellen (small round towers or bastions), featuring an
arched entrance. This creates a fortified yet picturesque entry,
typical of romantic revival castles.
Towers: Remnants of two
medieval Bergfriede (keeps) survive, integrated into the structure.
A prominent multi-story square tower (keep-like) rises centrally or
as a focal point, topped with crenellated battlements. Smaller
turrets and corner towers add vertical drama and asymmetry.
Main
residential block: A four-story (viergeschossiger) Haupttrakt (main
tract) with 3–4 window axes per facade. Attached is a long
Verbindungsflügel (connecting wing) linking sections, plus a front
area historically including the Peterskapelle (St. Peter’s Chapel).
Courtyard and ancillary buildings: An internal courtyard provides
light and circulation; lower wings and outbuildings (some with
gabled roofs) extend the complex downhill.
The overall
massing is asymmetrical and “story-book” romantic, with the main
tower dominating the skyline against the Alpine backdrop.
Exterior Architectural Details and Materials
The facade combines
robust stone construction (light-colored plaster or exposed masonry,
often appearing off-white/gray) with decorative revival elements:
Windows: Tall, narrow Gothic-arched (pointed) windows with white
frames dominate, emphasizing verticality. Some feature oriel-like
projections or balconies with red accents.
Roofs and battlements:
Steeply pitched or gabled roofs (Tudor influence), topped with
crenellated parapets and corner turrets for a castle-like
silhouette. Chimneys and decorative finials enhance the picturesque
quality.
Walls and detailing: Thick, load-bearing stone walls
(medieval base) with neo-Gothic tracery, blind arches, and
half-timbering hints in some sections. Ivy and vegetation often
soften the stonework.
Entrance and bridge: Accessed via a short
bridge or ramp leading to the gatehouse, evoking medieval
defensibility while inviting (in its hotel era).
Materials
are primarily local stone for durability, with 19th/20th-century
plaster, wood, and ironwork for decorative and functional updates.
The style sits between strict medieval fortification and English
country-house romanticism—formidable yet elegant.
Interiors
and Functional Adaptations (Limited Public Information)
Interiors
were designed for luxury: spacious rooms (originally up to 50
planned), grand halls for entertaining, and art display spaces.
Neo-Gothic/Tudor detailing likely extended inside with carved
woodwork, ornate fireplaces, and high ceilings. As a WWII prison,
rooms served as comfortable cells for VIPs (e.g., French political
figures). Post-war hotel use added modern plumbing and amenities;
current private status means detailed floor plans or interior photos
are scarce publicly. The compact layout suggests efficient
circulation via the connecting wing and courtyard access.