Žovnek Castle

Žovnek Castle (Slovene grad Žovnek) is a castle northeast of Braslovče, Slovenia. It lies at rising ground of 409 AMSL above the Žovnek Lake. In the past as one of the biggest castles in Slovenia castle got its name after Lords of Žovnek, later Counts of Celje. Castle was first mentioned in 1278 as "Castrum Sevnekke", and later as "Sannegg", although there at the same site around 200 m eastward already stood a fortification, of which only few stones has left.

This fortification is from the times of Charlemagne and served against attacks from the Awares. It was the gathering place for Bavarian and Carantanian forces under Erich of Friuli and Pippin, King of Italy, with duty to destroy the Awares. At that time, Carantania was joined under the same flag with Bavaria and stood under the same military command of Gerold from Vintschgau, whose daughter Hildegard became the wife of Charlemagne.

Herrschaft Sanegg (1474), Ortsgem. Frasslau. Post- u. Telegrst.: Frasslau, Bahnst.: Heilenstein-Frasslau, Pol. Bez.: Cilli, Ger.-Bez.: Franz, Kat.-Gem.: Unterberg. Aussmas in Hektaren: Bauarea 0.7193, Aecker 11.5093, Wiesen 25.3204, Gaerten 5.7546, Weiden 1.7264, Waldungen 52.9427, Unproduktiv 0.4316, Gesammt 98.4043.

Besitzer: Edmund Baron Cnobloch, k.u.k. Rittmeister, and Else Baronin Cnobloch, geb. von Reininghaus. (Source: Adels-Schematismus des oesterreichischen Kaiserstaates. Herausgegeben von Ignaz Ritter v. Schoenfeld. Zweyter Jahrgan. Wien, bey Carl Schaumburg et comp., 1825)). Document can be viewed in Carantha.net, rubric Sannegg (Zovnek).

Opis Zovneka kot ga je octral zgodovinar Franc Kralj ne odgovarja resnici o Zovneku.

Ko je Zovnek bil odkupljen po Adamu Srotu je Kraljeva ugotovitev bila da je Zovnek prehajal iz rok v roke.

Leta 1816 ugotavlja Kralj Franc da je na zemljiscu starega Zovneka nastal oz je iz kamnov starega nastal Novi Zovnek oz Ruhethal.

Naslednji lastnik Baron Cnobloch ki je kupil zemljisca Zovneka je kupil Zovnek zaradi residence novega Zovneka oz Ruhethala.

Ali hoce Franc Kralj razloziti zakaj je v 20 stoletju Zovnek propadel in se z njim vec nihce ni ukvarjal z razvalinami ko Kralj dobro ve da je Knobloch zivel v Ruhethalu ali v novem Zovneku?

Zakaj je Kralj zamolcal naslednje lastnike Elizabeth von Reininghaus, Ivano Ceri-Reininghaus in zadnjo lastnico Ano Marijo Huenerman, zeno Tovarnaja Emalirane Posode v Celju Franca Adolfa Westna.

Za gospoda Kralja je to le razvalina ki jo obnavlja kulturno zgodovinsko drustvo Braslovce ne ozirajoc se na lastnike in se zive dedice.

Anna Maria Huenermann was the last owner of castle Zovnek (Sannegg). In August 1945, the castle was nationalized by AVNOJ. Confiscation was benefiting the community of Zalec. Castle Novi Zovnek and Trnava was bought by Anna Maria Huenermann from Ivana Ceri-Reininghaus in 1934. The contract for the land was drawn by Georg Skoberne, lawyer in Celje (Cilli). It is important to know that the property of Zovnek was bought as fideikommis only by members of family Huenermann and not by her husband Franz Adolf Westen, as falsely documented by the town of Zalec. Anna Maria Huenermann is registered in the inheritance court of Zalec.

Proof of ownership and nationalization is provided there by decree of AVNOJ, registered on 05.03.46 under No. 661-ZP.690/45 with wording “zaznamuje se uvedba zaplembnega postopanja”. FEDERATIVNA LJUDSKA REPUBLIKA JUGOSLAVIJA in Temeljno Sodice Zalec.

Document of AVNOJ is at disposal in homepage Carantha.net, under rubric Sannegg (Zovnek).

Carantha: * [http://www.carantha.net/sannegg__zovnek_.htm]

Zgodovinar Franc Kralj ugotavlja da so Nemski okupatorji Grad dokoncno oropali in vredne stvari odnesli v Graski Muzej.

Ana Maria Huehnerman ni zapustila Slovenije do Avgusta 1945. Druga svetovna vojna pa se je koncala 15 Maja, 1945.