Castle site Alt Hollenegg

Motte hill 1 represents the oldest element; its construction began in the 12th century. It is 13 m high and has an upper plateau diameter of 12 m. Today, the mound can be reached via a gravel embankment and path that was filled in more recently, across the valley floor, which is very marshy in this area. The path then runs along the western foot of the hill, turns south over the ditch that has been filled in here, and crosses the outer bailey. The ditch between Motte hill 1 and the outer bailey may once have been over 10 m wide. It is not known what devices or structures were used to bridge the ditch. In the late 13th century, the complex was extended in the south by an almost square outer bailey with rampart and sectional ditch. This represents the largest building complex of the complex and, with side lengths of 35 by 40 m, occupies an area of 1400 square meters. Clear signs of erosion can be seen on the eastern and western edges. It can no longer be clearly determined whether there were surrounding ramparts in these areas, but the beginnings of a western rampart in the southwest corner substantiate such a supposition.

Theh rampart on the southern edge of the outer bailey is well preserved. It once had a width of at least 5 m; the present width at the rampart’s base of over 8 m is due to erosion. The best preserved section of the rampart is 1.50 m high. Originally, the rampart was probably reinforced by a palisade. A sectional ditch up to 10 m wide and in some places almost 3 m deep separates the outer bailey from the hinterland in the south. The depth of the trench and the height of the rampart, which are still preserved today, are evidence of considerable fortification measures. They were also urgently necessary since the entire outer bailey is located on a slope that drops slightly to the north. The opposite flanks of the outer bailey may have been artificially sloped to facilitate the defense of the complex against attackers. The sore point in terms of defense – the eastern side of the outer bailey and the somewhat higher counter-slope – was defused by raising Motte hill 2 at this spot. The hill is separated from the outer bailey, which it towers over by about 3 m, by a natural ditch through which a stream flows. Motte hill 2 has a plateau diameter of 22 m and a height of just under 4 m. On the northeastern, eastern and southeastern sides it is surrounded by a section ditch up to 5 m wide. There is natural protection on the western side by a steep slope. It is reasonable to assume that the mound was partially raised with excavation material from the section ditch.

Within the outer bailey, from the 13th century onwards, there was a planned, regular building development with block buildings, some of which were luxuriously furnished and had back-loading tile stoves. Residential and farm buildings from this phase were excavated, as well as a cistern that ensured water supply. The interior construction of the outer castle with residential and farm buildings resembled a farmstead, which formed a largely self-sufficient unit. The considerable wealth of the inhabitants is evidenced by the hollow glass finds, the children’s toys, the bolts and an iron arrowhead of crossbows and parts of equestrian equipment.

By the end of the 14th century, all the buildings within the outer castle seem to have been demolished. There are no indications of long-term decay of the houses. It is possible that the dismantling of the old castle is connected with the construction or extension of the present Hollenegg Castle. The last intervention was the construction of a lookout pavilion on Motte hill 1 in the 18th/19th century which destroyed practically all archaeologically relevant features there. The path leading through the site today, the stone staircase leading to the plateau of Motte hill 1, and the embankments and dams in the surrounding valley floor area are also to be seen in connection with this pavilion.