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Hohensalzburg Fortress was built in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard and
was enlarged by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach in 1510.
Hohensalzburg Fortress is the largest, fully preserved fortress in
Central Europe. The medieval princes' apartments and the
Fortress Museum are of particular interest within the fortress.
Since 1892 the Hohensalzburg Fortress can easily be reached by a
funicular railway system which departs from the Festungsgasse. The citadel which is over 900 years old dates back to the controversy between the emperor and the Pope over the right to appoint the Archbishop. As a faithful servant of the Pope, Archbishop Gerhard von Salzburg was holding the strongholds of Hohensalzburg, Hohenwerfen and Friesach which were built on his sovereign territory in around 1077. Expansion of Archbishop Gebhard's fortifications were temporarily completed under Emperor Konrad I in 1161. During its over 900 years old history the Hohensalzburg Fortress always remained unconquered by enemy troops. Having served both as a fortification and a temporary residence of the prince archbishops under war conditions for many years, the Hohensalzburg Fortress also served the Salzburgers as military barracks and a prison. Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich was held captive in the Hohensalzburg Fortress for 5 years by his nephew and successor, Markus Sittikus, until his death in 1617. Today the Hohensalzburg Fortress is open to the public and artists from around the world meet here for courses at the International Summer Academy of Salzburg. |