The castle rock of the Riegersburg, which towers above its surroundings about 200 metres, is the basalt cone of an extinct volcano. This place, which is protected by vertical precipices on three sides, was already settled in the Neolithic Age, i.e. approx. 6000 years ago. Also the Alpine Slavs, who immigrated to our country from the 7th
century on, built a refuge (slav. Gradec) on the castle hill, which the “Graztal” at the foot of the castle and the “Grazbach” (castle brook) was named after. At the time of the German settlement a landlord called Rüdiger erected a fortress at the northern peak of the impregnable basalt rock which was first mentioned as “Ruotkerspurch” (= castle of Rüdiger) in 1138. With that Riegersburg can look back on a documented history of 850 years. As a domicile for powerful aristocratic families (for example, the Lords of Traisen-Ort or the Lord of Wildon), in the 11th /12th century the
Riegersburg was the centre of a huge clearing barony, which stretched from Gleisdorf in the West to today’s national border in the East. To curtail the power of Riegersburg- Wildonian Margrave Otakar III. had a baronial counter fortress built in 1140/50 at the spot of today’s borderland cenotaph and at its foot the market town of Riegersburg with the St. Martin’s Church which was first mentioned in documents in 1170. Around 1320 the Lords of Walsee could also acquire the “Lower Stronghold”, what turned them into the sole masters at the castle hill of Riegersburg. In 1412 it amounted to a battle between the Walseer and their sovereign Duke Ernst the Iron and after a short siege the sovereign conquered the lower stronghold. Thus, the supply of the main castle was cut off and it had to surrender too. Probably that was the reason why the Walseer had the so-called “Eselsteig” (a steep track) gouged out from the west face of the castle rock in the following decades (around 1420/30), which secured the castle’s unimpeded supply at all times. Because from this time on the“Lower Stronghold” had been owned untroubled by the respective lords of the main castle, the Riegersburg could be expanded to the “most powerful stronghold of Christianity” during the time of the Turkish danger. Baroness Elisabeth Katharina Wechsler, married Baroness of Galler, gave the impulse to that. She is living on in common parlance as the “Gallerin auf der Riegersburg” or as “schlimme Liesl” and belongs undoubtedly to the most important female figures in Styria. In construction periods of 16 years each she had, amongst others, the Wenzelsgate in front of the main castle erected and on its left side she had the famous inscription affixed:
“Was ich in 16 Jahren hier hab lassen paven Das ist woll zusechen und anzuschauen KeinHeller mich nicht reven thuet Ich mains dem Vaterland zu guet Anno Domini 1653."
(“What I have built in 16 years that is nice to look at. I don’t regret spending all that money, I did it for the benefit of my fatherland. Anno Domine 1653.”)
The huge barbicans and bastions, which offered refuge in times of need to all people from the surroundings together with their cattle, as well as the gate towers, which were built from 1676 on by the Counts of Purgstall after the Gallerin (d. 1672) had died; this is attested by numerous inscriptions on the gate towers. From 1822 on the Counts of Purgstall were followed by the Princes of Liechtenstein, who saved the castle from the danger of dilapidation after the destructions of the year 1945. Thanks to the princely family, who owns the castle up to the present, these greatest and most imposing castle buildings in Styria still convey the idea of the achievements and sacrifices which our ancestors were willing to make in order to protect our Styrian homeland.
Sequence of owners of the Castle and Reign Riegersburg
Before 1141-approx. 1150
Hartnid of Traisen-Ort. Through his daughter’s marriage the reign and Riegersburg Castle passed on to Richer of Eferding-Hengist
Approx. 1150-1249
Riegersburg-Wildonier. By marrying Gertrud of Wildon the Riegersburg fell to Albero of
Kuenring-Dürnstein
1249-1299
Kuenring-Dürnsteiner. 1299 to Ulrich of Walsee-Graz by purchase.
1299-1479
Walseer. 1479 by purchase to Reinprecht o Reichenburg
1479-1571
Reichenburger. 1571 Erasmus von Stadl came into the possession of the reign by marriage.
1571-1618
Hans Baron of Stadl. 1618 by purchase to Georg Christoph of Ursenbeck.
1618-1637
Ursenbeck. 1637 by court order and purchase to Seyfried Baron of Wechsler
1637-1638
Seyfried Baron of Wechsler. To his uncle Sigmund Baron of Wechsler by inheritance.
1638-1648
Sigmund Baron of Wechsler. 1648 inherited to his niece Elisabeth Katharina Wechsler
1648-1672
Elisabeth Katharina Wechsler, married Baroness of Galler, remarried Capell (1660-1664),
remarried of Stadl. 1672 inherited to her daughter Regina Purgstall.
1672-1817
Counts of Purgstall. After the death of the last Riegersburger Count of Purgstall inheritance divided up among 17 people
1817-1822
Counts of Sauer and Lanthieri and the Lords Stubenberg (17 owners). 1822 by purchase to Prince Johann of Liechtenstein.
Since 1822
Princes of Liechtenstein. Today’s owners are Prince Friedrich and Princess Annemarie of Liechtenstein.