Marketenderschlössl am Mönchsberg

The Marketenderschlössl is a small, medieval castle in a relatively hidden corner of the Mönchsberg hill in Salzburg. Tourists usually pass it without paying much attention - it is one of many buildings on the Mönchsberg that can be linked to the historic role as a strategic and thus fortified piece of rock endorsing the city centre.

The Marketenderschlössl was built under the rule of Prince Archbishop Michael von Kuenburg in 1560. Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau purchased the little castle in 1589. After 1677, it was used as a residence for soldiers that served on the Mönchsberg and as a so-called "Marketenderei", the facility that provided food supplies and clothing for the soldiers of the Mönchsberg fortifications. This is how the little castle got its name.

Later Use of the Marketenderschlössl

Once the walls and bastions of the Mönchsberg had lost their strategic significance, the Marketenderschlössl was sold and changed owners several times. In 1926, the congregation of the Pallottiner monks purchased the castle alongside with the Johannesschlössl. Today, the Marketenderschlössl is let to the University of Redlands in California. The university operates a study centre here that was started in 1960.

Whilst the outside of the Marketenderschlössl is basically unchanged from its 16th century appearance, the inside is modern and was renovated in 2001. The study centre contains a library, reading room, lecture room, a dormitory with kitchen and computer labs. The academic program of the centre focuses on European studies, German literature and cultural studies. The area around the Marketenderschlössl is very natural and offers attractive vistas on the city centre and the surrounding mountains.

Hidden Treasures of Salzburg

Links

http://www.redlands.edu/salzburg.asp
Website of the University of Redlands on its Salzburg program

http://www.salzburg.gv.at/themen/ks/kultur/burgen/marketenderschloessl.htm
Salzburg State on the Marketenderschlössl


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