Description of the attraction
Brook Castle is a medieval castle in Lienz, Tyrol. The castle was named after a small stone bridge (Bruecke), which was located at the castle. The castle tower and large defensive walls have survived to this day.
The construction of the castle began in 1250 as the residence of the Counts of Hertz. In 1480, the Hertz clan began to rule in Tyrol, which immediately affected the rapid development of the castle. It develops rapidly, new buildings appear, including the chapel, which consists of two floors, the walls of which are decorated with paintings by Simon von Theisten.
After the death of the last of the Hertz family, the castle passed into the possession of Emperor Maximilian I, who quickly pledged Brook to pay off his large debts. The next owner of the castle was the von Wolkenstein family, during whose period a wall with rotundas was built, and another entrance was built.
In the 17th century, the castle was used for court hearings and for storing weapons. Later, nuns began to live in the castle. In 1783, Emperor Joseph II decided to set up barracks and a hospital in the castle, so he declared Brook the property of the state and drove out the nuns.
Until the outbreak of the First World War, the castle was owned by the family of Governor Lienz and was used as a brewery.
During the Second World War, a city museum was opened in the castle - the Museum of Creativity and Traditions of East Tyrol. Paintings by various artists are displayed in forty halls of the museum. In addition, the museum's exposition contains interesting archaeological finds discovered during the excavations of Aguntum.
