Pfeilburg Castle
Tobacco smoke and "Kruzitürken" in the "Black Tower".
History
Fortress wall.
The so-called "Pfeilburg" is the only preserved part of the city of Fürstenfeld's medieval curtain wall. It was built in the 13th century to provide more security for the town. Towers reinforced the walls, and later some of them were turned into residences. By about 1480, when Hungarian troops had occupied Fürstenfeld for 10 years, the Gothic central tower was already likely a burned out ruin. The tower was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century and is now often referred to as the "Black Tower" - either because it was burned out or because gunpowder was stored there.
Strong stuff.
After repeated changes of ownership, in 1691 Pfeilburg Tower came into the possession of Johann Christoph Liscutin. In it he set up Austria's first tobacco processing facility. In 1725, the Fürstenfeld city government acquired the so-called "Freihaus", and used it as a school, barracks and a military hospital. Later, the Fürstenfeld Museum Association undertook measures to save and renovate the "Pfeilburg". Today, it houses the Kruzitürken- and Tobacco Museum.
"Kruzitürken" and Tobacco Museum
Thanks to the initiative of the Fürstenfeld Museum Association, this oldest secular building in the city was saved, renovated and finally repurposed in 1999 as the Kruzitürken- and Tobacco Museum .
Tobacco Museum
The economic development of the city Fürstenfeld was for centuries linked to the production of tobacco products. The Pfeilburg was one of the city's first manufacuring facilities in the 17
th century. With more than 300 exhibits, the Tobacco Museum documents 300 years of tobacco history and smoking culture.
"Kruzitürken" Museum
The changing history of this city on the border with Hungary is documented on two floors of a museum with a name that reflects the dangers once associated with this border position. "Kruzitürken" is a curse word that is most likely an amalgamation representing the two most feared enemies that made raids across the border in the early modern period, the Ottoman Turks and their Hungarian allies, the Kurucs. One of the museum's highlight is a model of the city of Fürstenfeld with its famous curtain wall around 1600. Also a popular exhibit object is a model figure of an impressively outfitted Janissary soldier on horseback .
Fürstenfeld and its companies
Trade - Commerce - Industry
The city of Fürstenfeld has been a trading town for centuries and has significantly shaped the economic life of Eastern Styria. Trade and commerce have always been key pillars of economic development in the region. There were extensive trade relations across the border with Hungary, and tobacco cultivation and processing also helped ensure the prosperity of the city.
The Pfeilburg Museum is in the process of mounting a series of exhibitions on individual companies in the town. The first such exhibition is devoted to the bus company of Ferdinand Roch.
Fortress path
The "Fürstenfeld Fortress Path" opened in 2013 and follows the town's imposing defensive walls for some 3.5 kilometers around the city center. Currently, the tour is divided into stations, including three new ones that have just been added.
One of the new stations gives comfortable and safe access to the impressive bunker and tunnel systems in the so-called "Mühl-Bastion". At the "Grazer Gate", in which the town hall is located, a part of the formerly closed basement rooms were opened to the public. Visitors to this station are treated to an interesting look at the massive foundations of the fortress walls. With the opening of a historic side wing within the passage of the Augustinian Church, surviving remnants of the former Augustinian monastery are now accessible again. All three stations have been comprehensively rehabilitated in strict adherence to historic preservation standards.
Some fortress stations now also offer media-supported historical information material.
Sports lovers can also make a "Order of knight's Cycle Tour" along a biking trail that connects the fortress path with Übersbach and Altenmarkt.
Guided tours along the fortress path can be booked by contacting the Fürstenfeld Tourism Association.
Fürstenfeld Tourism Association
A-8280 Fürstenfeld, Hauptstrasse 2a
Phone: +43 3382 55 470
tourismusverband@fuerstenfeld.at
Contact & Info
Fürstenfeld Tourism Association
Hauptstraße 2a, A 8280 Fürstenfeld
Steiermark / Austria
Phone: +43 3382 55470
Fax: +43 3382 55470-14
tourismusverband@fuerstenfeld.at
The "Fürstenfeld Fortress Path" is operated by the Fürstenfeld Tourism Association in cooperation the:
Fürstenfeld Museum Association
c/o Museum Pfeilburg
A 8280 Fürstenfeld, Klostergasse 18,
pfeilburg@stwff.at
www.museum-pfeilburg.at
Opening hours:
April - October
Tuesday - Sunday: 3pm - 6pm
From November to March, the museum is open to visitors by appointment at the Fürstenfeld Tourist Office (Phone: 03382/55470).
Guided tours for groups of 6 or more are also possible outside these opening hours.
Duration: about 1 hour
Advance reservation is required by contacvting the Fürstenfeld Tourism Office.
Ticket prices:
Adults: €6.00
Children: €2.50
Groups / Seniors: €4.50
Guided tour fee (in addition to the entry fee): €2.00
Map
Fürstenfeld Castle
(Styria)
