Burg Sommeregg

Sommeregg Castle
Carinthia, Austria
Type	Hill castle
Site information
Owner	Private
Open to the public	Yes
Site history
Built	12th century
Built by	Witemarus von Sommeregg
Battles/wars	Austrian–Hungarian War (1487)
Events	Ritterspiele (medieval reenactment)
Garrison information
Past commanders	Andreas von Graben, Virgil von Graben

Sommeregg is a medieval castle near Seeboden in the Austrian state of Carinthia, Austria. It is situated in the foothills of the Nock Mountains at an altitude of 749 m. The fortress served as an administrative seat in the Upper Carinthian estates held by the Counts of Ortenburg and Celje; it later was the residence of the Graben and Khevenhüller dynasties; ministeriales of the Austrian House of Habsburg.

The castle was probably erected in the 12th century, as one Witemarus de Sumereke was already mentioned in an 1187 deed issued at Neustift Abbey in Tyrol. The Lords of Sommeregg then served as ministeriales of Count Otto II of Ortenburg, who ruled over extended estates in Upper Carinthia, rivalling with the House of Gorizia and the Salzburg archbishops. On 29 May 1275 the marriage of Otto's granddaughter, Euphemia of Ortenburg-Hardegg, with Count Albert I of Gorizia was arranged here.

In the 14th century, the Lords of Sommeregg achieved the knightly status of Ortenburg burgraves and castellans with comprehensive administrative and military responsibilities in the lordship of the manor. When the Counts of Ortenburg became extinct in 1418, their possessions passed to the Counts of Celje in Carniola, who left the administration of the remote Upper Carinthian estates to local stadtholders. In 1442 the Styrian noble Andreas von Graben by marriage inherited the Sommeregg burgraviate. His rights were acknowledged by Count Frederick II of Celje and the castle became a residence of the House of Graben.

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Wikipedia