736 meters above sea level. That’s where we stand. Before Burgruine Lichtentann. A powerful presence. Even in ruins.
This is Burgruine Lichtentann. Located near Henndorf am Wallersee in Salzburg. It’s more than just stones. It whispers tales of the powerful Lords of Tann. A significant Salburgian noble family of the Middle Ages.
The Lords of Tann weren’t just any nobles. They were ministeriales. High-ranking officials. Serving the Archbishops of Salzburg. Their mission? To acquire land around Wallersee for Salzburg. This area was originally a Bavarian duchy. A tricky task in the turbulent times of the Interregnum. 1254 to 1273 to be exact.
Eckhart VI of Tann. A key figure in Lichtentann’s history. Around 1225 he started building the castle. Without permission from the Archbishop. A bold move. It landed him in trouble. In 1272. He had to give up the castle for five years to Archbishop Friedrich II of Walchen.
His son. Eckhart VII. Had to promise not to expand Lichtentann further in 1314. Yet. The castle was completed. A testament to the Tann family’s determination. The completion was a symbol of their ambition.
A family feud followed. A division of property between Niklas and Eckhart X of Tann. It led to the creation of two courts. Lichtentann-Köstendorf and Altentann-Seekirchen. Both courts had the power to administer capital punishment. Their common place of execution? The Eggerberg. A chilling detail.
But conflicts didn’t end there. After Eckhart XI’s death. Archbishop Ortolf of Weißenegg seized Lichtentann. He used a feudal oath from 1302 as his justification. Eckhart X received Burg Tetelham as compensation. He got to keep Lichtentann and Köstendorf for his lifetime. A temporary reprieve.
After Eckhart X’s death. Ortolf tried to grab the estates again. Eckhart XII. His son. Allied himself with Duke Stefan II of Lower Bavaria. The resulting conflict became known as the “Tanner Feud”. A major confrontation between the Tann family and the Archbishop. It involved twenty Salburgian and Bavarian nobles.
Ultimately. After arbitration by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. Eckhart XII lost Lichtentann. A significant blow. He did regain Altentann. But permanently relinquished Lichtentann in 1369. In 1391 Archbishop Pilgrim II. seized all remaining Tann properties.
Lichtentann’s story doesn’t end there. The castle became home to bailiffs. They managed the courts. In 1607. Lichtentann-Köstendorf merged with Altentann. The Neumarkt tax office joined in 1612 creating the Neumarkt Bailiwick.
After a fire in 1680 destroyed Altentann. The bailiff moved to Neumarkt. The castles fell into disrepair. They were used as quarries. The Moser brewing family acquired them in 1825. Then in 1916 the Mayr-Melnhof family purchased the Henndorf forest. Burgruine Lichtentann is still in their possession.
Today we stand before the remnants. The partially reconstructed gate. A symbol of a powerful family. A tumultuous history. And a legacy that still echoes through the valley.