- Burgruine Griffen
Infobox Military Structure
name= Griffen Castle
partof=
location= Carinthia, Austria
coordinates= coord|46|42|19|N|14|43|39|E|display=inline,title
caption=
caption2=
type= Castle
code=
built= 1124-1146
builder=Otto of Bamberg
materials=
height=
used= until 1768
demolished= 1840
condition= ruins
ownership= Market Town of Griffen
open_to_public= yes
controlledby=
garrison=
current_commander=
commanders=
occupants=
battles= 1292-1293 occupied by Count Ulrich von Heunberg
events=The Burg Griffen is acastle on a 130m/427ft-highlimestone mountain above the town of Griffen in theAustria n state of Carinthia.History
The castle was built between 1124 and 1146 by order of Bishop Otto of Bamberg. In a 1160 deed, Emperor Friedrich I mentioned "Grivena" as a Bamberg property.
In 1292 the Carinthian nobleman Count Ulrich von Heunburg with support of Archbishop Konrad IV of Salzburg occupied the fort in an uprising against Albert of Habsburg, the son of King
Rudolph I of Germany and Duke Meinhard II. However Ulrich was abandoned by his allies and one year later had to leave the castle. In 1759 Bishop Adam Friedrich sold the Bamberg estates in Carinthia toMaria Theresa of Austria and the castle was incorporated into the Carinthian duchy.About 1520 a large reconstruction of the castle took place as a protection against the threat posed by the Ottoman forces with a base amounted of about 4000 m², though the Turks never laid siege to Griffen. In 1659 a flash impact destroyed one of the towers and the decay of the castle began. In 1768 a last religious service took place and about 1840 the roofs were torn. In 2000 the preservation of the castle began. A steep footpath leads up the mountain to the ruins.
Cave
Within the mountain is the "Griffener Tropfsteinhöhle" (
dripstone cave ) with a length of 485m/1591ft, which was not discovered until the late days ofWorld War II . It is open to public and a natural landmark since 1957.External links
*de icon [http://www.burgen.de/burgen/oesterreich/kaernten/griffen/ Griffen at burgen.de]
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