Veste Oberhaus

Passau, Germany

Veste Oberhaus castle dominates the old city of Passau, which it faces across the Danube. Below Oberhaus on the promontory between the two rivers is Veste Niederhaus, part of the fortress system.

The fortress was built in 1219 by Ulrich II, the first prince-bishop of Passau, at the location of a previously existing chapel dedicated to St. George. The intention was to express the military strength of the bishopric and support the bishop's status as an elector of the Holy Roman Empire, granted in 1217, and also to protect against both external enemies and internal threats such as those citizens of Passau who wished to acquire the independent status of a free imperial city.

As siege techniques improved over the centuries, Veste Oberhaus was repeatedly renovated and extended, beginning in 1255–56, so that it offers an opportunity to study fortification techniques from the 13th through the early 19th century. The most significant rebuilding took place under Leonhard von Laiming, Christoph von Schachner, Urban von Trennbach, and Johann Philipp von Lamberg. Under them, the fortress developed from a Gothic citadel to an early Renaissance princely residence, a 'fortified princely castle', and finally, in the era of invasion by the Turks, a regional fortress and symbol of aristocratic status. Archeological investigations in the 1990s revealed traces of a 17th-century residential tower.

The fortress was attacked five times between 1250 and 1482, each time without success. Twice, in 1298 and 1367, the attackers were the citizens of Passau themselves in rebellion against the bishop.

Between 1535 and 1540, numerous Protestant Anabaptists were imprisoned in the castle dungeon for their beliefs. During their imprisonment, the Ausbund hymnal, still used in Amish religious services, was developed. Some of the hymn writers died while imprisoned; many were martyred.

In 1704, 1742, and 1800 the fortress was forced to surrender to various forces. Secularization in 1802 brought an end to the rule of the bishop. Napoleon made use of the fortress during his campaign against Austria, placing it under the control of his allies the Bavarians as a border outpost, but in 1805 it surrendered to the Austrian army. After the Congress of Vienna the area was controlled by Bavaria and for almost a century, until 1918, the fortress served an additional purpose as a state and military prison.

In 1932 the City of Passau gained possession of Veste Oberhaus and instituted a museum, the Oberhausmuseum.

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Details

Founded: 1219
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

david turvene (8 months ago)
The *best* view in Passau and the three rivers. I sat on a bench and just zoned out. Nice breeze. Walk up the cobbles to get a workout. Nice restaurant on top overlooking town
david antoun (9 months ago)
fortress from 13th century, a large complex of chapel, watch towers, observation decks, in addition there's museums, event yards and a biergarden. visiting this place is a trip back in time to Passsau history and an opportunity to get the best top view to the old city.
James Berry (10 months ago)
Beautiful views of Passau. Went in the morning, and it was not crowded.
Lance Sweeney (11 months ago)
A gold mine if you love history. The grounds are huge with lots to see and the most beautiful views of Passau and the 3 rivers. Give yourself plenty of time for walking the grounds!
Luke Johnson (2 years ago)
What incredible views of the city below. The restaurant was a perfect place for a gathering and the enjoy the views even longer. Summer visits would offer more as the main parts were all closed. We walked up the hill and enjoyed the cardio workout.
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