Time Line
- 100 BC Celtic Settlement on Burghausen ridge
- Romans occupied area
- 530 AD Bohemian Czechs settled in Burghausen
- 600 AD First building on castle grounds was a wooden fortified house built by Bavarian Dukes and ussed as a court or Pfalz. The duke and his group rode from one court to another, staying a few days at each. While at his castle he would sit in judgement upon cases in law, attend to matters of general administration and leave with a fresh supply of horses. Accommodation, supplies and fresh horses had to be supplied at each court.
- 1025 Burghausen first mentioned in a document as being a royal court or Reichsof. The German King Konrad II formed Burghausen and the districts arround into an Earldom and appointed Bailiffs from noble families to administer it.
- 1027-1163 First the Ratpotonen and then the Sieghartinger families ruled the district
- 1090 Castle built by Count Sieghart X (Most has disappeared)
- 1163-1180 Heinrich der Lowe, the famous opponent of the German emperor Gredrich Barbarossa took possession of the castle and the earldom.
- 1180-1918 The Bavarian Dukes of the Wittelsbach ruled Bavaria.
- 1255 Duke Heinrich XIII built main castle (foundation wall, cellars, chapel - much of which still stands)
- 1480 Because of the constant danger of invasion by the Turks, Duke George the Rich undertook the task of completing and reinforcing the castle
- 1480-1490 Castle completed
- 1400-1500 Highest activity within the castle walls under the reign of the three Lower Bavarian Dukes, Heinrich, Ludwig and George.
Salt Trade
We cannot look at Burghausen Castle without looking at it's history and the influence salt has played in it's evolution. Salt was extremely important to this area as is evidenced by many of the names, such as the Salzach River or Salzburg, etc. Salt was found in the Alps of both Austria and Germany. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most valuable commodities because it preserved food as well as added to it's taste.
Hallein, Austria, a southern suburban area of Salzburg had a very prolific salt mine. In 1336 the Bavarian Emperor Ludwig ruled that any salt mined in Hallein had to pass through Burghausen. Whether they landed or traveled further each salt barge had to pay the town a toll. Many times the salt would be put on carts in Burghausen and transported to it's final destination via land. From 1336 - 1594 most people of Burghausen were involved one way or another with the salt trade. All trades grew in wealth because of the salt trade. The twelve richest tradesman made up the town council. Burghausen prospered during this time period. However all this changed in 1594 when a new law literally took the toll money out of the hands of the Burghausen people and gave it to the Bavarian government.
Because of losing it's main source of income by salt tolls and with the loss of the land on the other side of the Salzach to Austria in 1779 Burghausen had to struggle to stay a town during the 1600's - 1800's. In the early 1900's Wacker Chemical Company established a plant in Burghausen and has reinvigorate the town's economy. Other company's have since found a home in Burghausen like Farbwerke Hoechst and the Deutsche Marathon Petroleum Company.
Hallein, Austria, a southern suburban area of Salzburg had a very prolific salt mine. In 1336 the Bavarian Emperor Ludwig ruled that any salt mined in Hallein had to pass through Burghausen. Whether they landed or traveled further each salt barge had to pay the town a toll. Many times the salt would be put on carts in Burghausen and transported to it's final destination via land. From 1336 - 1594 most people of Burghausen were involved one way or another with the salt trade. All trades grew in wealth because of the salt trade. The twelve richest tradesman made up the town council. Burghausen prospered during this time period. However all this changed in 1594 when a new law literally took the toll money out of the hands of the Burghausen people and gave it to the Bavarian government.
Because of losing it's main source of income by salt tolls and with the loss of the land on the other side of the Salzach to Austria in 1779 Burghausen had to struggle to stay a town during the 1600's - 1800's. In the early 1900's Wacker Chemical Company established a plant in Burghausen and has reinvigorate the town's economy. Other company's have since found a home in Burghausen like Farbwerke Hoechst and the Deutsche Marathon Petroleum Company.
In Durrnberg, Austria by Hallein is one of the world's oldest Salt Mines (Salz Faszination Welten). The "white gold' created here millions of years ago can be traced back to the Celts over 2500 years ago and has provided the area with salt ever since. In fact it would be carried to the Salzach River from these caves and end up floating by Burghausen, where a Salt Toll would have to paid.
You put on their clothes with a leather patch in the pants, walk into the salt cave, then board a train where in the middle of the Alps you cross from Austria Alps into the German Alps. You are inside the Alps the entire time then come to a salt lake where you listen to a great narrative about the Salt History. The last experience is sliding down a salt slide to get out of the cave. That is why you need the leather patch on your pants. Very fun experience.
You put on their clothes with a leather patch in the pants, walk into the salt cave, then board a train where in the middle of the Alps you cross from Austria Alps into the German Alps. You are inside the Alps the entire time then come to a salt lake where you listen to a great narrative about the Salt History. The last experience is sliding down a salt slide to get out of the cave. That is why you need the leather patch on your pants. Very fun experience.
Napoleon's Visit
During the war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Napoleon came and stayed in Burghausen April 28, 1809 through May 2, 1809. He, his personal guard and an army of 100,000 men, horses and baggage made Burghausen their home for those four days. Napoleon didn't stay in the castle but rather in the Tauffkirchen Palace in the market square. The townspeople waited on him and his troops. Since the wooden bridge on the Salzach River had been destroyed by Austrian troops, Napoleon's army had to use their own pontoon bridge to get across into Austria. This took another four days and Napoleon watched the progress most of the time from the Burghausen Castle.
Even though the visit put stress on the Burghausen economy and individual citizens, their newspaper headlined the following week: "We are the center of Europe: Napoleon stayed inside our walls."
Even though the visit put stress on the Burghausen economy and individual citizens, their newspaper headlined the following week: "We are the center of Europe: Napoleon stayed inside our walls."