Radlje ob Dravi

Razvaline gradu Mahrenberg

(EŠD 8140)


Johannes Clobucciarich: Pogled na zgornji in spodnji grad Mahrenberg, 1601–1605, risba
Načrt gradu Mahrenberg, Otto Piper, okoli 1910 (Vir: Ivan Stopar, Grajske stavbe v vzhodni Sloveniji, 4. knjiga. Ljubljana, 1993, str. 53.)
Skici razvalin gradu Mahrenberg, Stane Hrovat, okoli 1920 (Vir: Mateja Jevšnik, Radlje nekoč in danes. Radlje ob Dravi, 2004, str. 16.)

Nad trgom so na skali oz. hribu Kamen ohranjene razvaline nekdanjega gradu, ki se v Šentpavelski listini omenja med leti 1193 in 1220 kot »Castrum ad lapidem«.

V 12. stoletju je grad na šentpavelski zemlji pozidal Albert Trušenjski, vendar brez privoljenja šentpavelskega samostana. Leta 1216 se Albert Trušenjski imenuje Mahrenberški (»Albertus de Merienberch«), leta 1251 pa se grad prvič omenja kot grad Mahrenberg (»Merenberch castrum«).

Grad je bil sedež marenberške gospoščine. Po trdnjavi dobi postopoma ime Mahrenberg še naselbina pod gradom. Prej se je imenovala vas Radlje (villa Radela, 1161).

Najznamenitejši predstavnik marenberške gospoščine je bil sin Alberta Mahrenberškega, Siegfried Mahrenberški (»dominus Syfridus de Marenberch«, 1245).

Siegfried je leta 1251 grad Mahrenberg vrnil šentpavelskemu samostanu in si ga dal nato od samostana podeliti v zajem (fevd). Tako je legaliziral protipravno pozidavo gradu s strani svojega očeta Alberta Mahrenberškega.

Po Siegfriedovi smrti 1272 je grad spet prevzel šentpavelski samostan. Nato je zamenjal veliko lastnikov. Med lastniki marenberške gospoščine so bili Habsburžani, Viltuški, Walseeji in deželni knez, ki je posest dajal v zakup. Med leti 1669 in 1782 je bil lastnik mahrenberški dominikanski samostan.

Grad so v 15. stoletju razdejali Turki, večkrat ga je požgala strela, leta 1697 je pogorel in ga niso več obnavljali. Gospoščina se je preselila na obrobje trga, kjer so pozidali nekdanjo grajsko pristavo v t.i. Spodnji grad, danes dvorec Mahrenberg oz. dvorec Radlje.

Prvotno je bil grad romanska stavba obodnega tipa z dvema stolpoma. Lastniki so grad večkrat obnavljali in utrjevali. V gotiki so grajsko stavbo povišali, v renesansi so ji dozidali še druga poslopja, t.i. predgradje. Grad je imel obrambni jarek in dvižni most.

Na skalnati pečini nad Radljami so danes ohranjene le razvaline nekdanjega gradu, ki so bile obnovljene v letu 2013.

 

Radlje ob Dravi

Ruins of the Mahrenberg castle

(HRN 8140)


Johannes Clobucciarich: The view of the upper and lower Mahrenberg castle, 1601–1605, drawing
Drawings of the ruins of the Mahrenberg Castle, Stane Hrovat, around 1920 (source: Mateja Jevšnik, Radlje nekoč in danes. Radlje ob Dravi, 2004, p. 16.)
Drawings of the ruins of the Mahrenberg Castle, Stane Hrovat, around 1920 (source: Mateja Jevšnik, Radlje nekoč in danes. Radlje ob Dravi, 2004, p. 16.)

Above the market town there are preserved ruins of the former castle, which is mentioned in the St. Paul’s document between 1193 and 1220 as “Castrum ad lapidem”.

In the 12th century, the castle was built by Albert of Trixen on the land of the St. Paul’s monastery, but without the approval of the latter. In 1216, Albert of Trixen renamed himself into Albert of Mahrenberg (“Albertus de Merienberch”) and in 1251, the castle was first mentioned as the Mahrenberg Castle (“Merenberch castrum”). The castle was the seat of the Mahrenberg dominion.

Soon after, the settlement below the castle was given the name Mahrenberg as well. Prior to that, the village was named Radlje (villa Radela, 1161).

The most famous representative of the Mahrenberg dominion was the son of Albert of Mahrenberg, Siegfried of Mahrenberg (“Dominus de Syfridus Marenberch”, 1245).

In 1251, Siegfried returned the Mahrenberg Castle to the St. Paul’s Monastery and then enfeoffed it from the monastery. In this way, he legalized the unlawful construction of the castle by his father, Albert of Mahrenberg.

After Siegfried’s death in 1272 the castle was again taken over by the St. Paul’s monastery. After that, it had seen many owners. Among the owners of the Mahrenberg dominion were the Hapsburgs, Lords of Viltuš, Lords of Walsee and the regional prince who leased out the land. Between 1669 and 1782, the Dominican Monastery was the owner of the Mahrenberg castle.

The castle was demolished in the 15th century by the Turks and burned down several times due to the strike of lightning. In 1697, it eventually burned down and was never renovated again. Dominion then moved to the outskirts of the market town where they rebuilt the former castle farm in the so called “Lower castle”, today’s Mahrenberg Manor House or Radlje Manor House.

Originally, the castle was a Romanesque building of a circumferential type with two towers. The owners of the castle had performed several renovations and fortifications of the castle. The castle was heightened in the Gothic period, while in the Renaissance other buildings were added: e.g., the so called inner ward. The castle had its own defence ditch and a drawbridge.

Today, there are only the ruins of the former castle preserved on a rocky cliff above Radlje ob Dravi that were restored in 2013.