Weitmoserschlössl

The Weitmoserschlössl is located in the district of Vorderschneeberg in the municipality of Bad Hofgastein in the St. Johann im Pongau district of Salzburg. The castle, visible from afar, is situated on the western side of the Gastein Valley. The castle is closely associated with the Weitmoser family. First to be mentioned here is Hans Weitmoser, who has been documented as the owner of various properties in the Gastein Valley since 1518, such as the Eliasgütl and the Maurachlehen in Hundsdorf. Hans Weitmoser was also one of the leaders of the Salzburg peasant uprising; for this, he performed penance and was reinstated by the territorial lord Matthäus Lang. In 1518, he even acted as an appointed commissioner on behalf of the Archbishop in a mining dispute. This Hans was able to buy shares in mines and seems to have had luck advancing his tunnels on the Radhausberg. His heir in 1526 was his son Christoph Weitmoser. He was enrolled at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau in 1522. Upon inheriting, he also had to take on about 10,000 guilders in debt; the territorial lord helped the young Christoff at that time with a loan of 100 "Imperial" coins. By around 1530, he was able to extract rich ore through the tunnel "zu unserer Frau" and settle his debts. From 1554 to 1560, he was estimated to have extracted around 300 kg of gold and about 1200 kg of silver annually, from which, after deducting all expenses, he had a present income of at least 2.5 million euros. Christoff Weitmoser was among the financiers of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol and Duke Ernst of Bavaria.

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