St. Veit
Stairs up to the cemeteries from the north.
Street built in the moat.
This is the catholic St. Veit church in Lutzmannsburg (Austria/Burgenland). The church and two cemeteries are situated in the middle of a small medieval fortification, which is overlooking the rural community from a hill nearby at least since the 12th century. The stone foundation of the church are reused remains of the former central building (archaeological excavations in 1955-58). The last remains of the this older house dates back into the Middle Age.The church is younger and dates back at the end of the 14th century.
View from the inside out (south) – the wall is visible on the left.
View (outside) from south.
It was more or less a system of a round wall (earth, wood, brick) and a moat. The architect made best use of the topographical situation. The view to the north is from the hill down. The south and east had to be artificially fortified. The north was already hard to climb up and the west side was naturally and artificially fortified by a deep moat. The last remains of the wall, which is good visible by satellite and by a trained eye, are in constant danger to be destroyed.
Komitat Lutzmannsburg
Although the construction isn’t gigantic or impressive it possessed political value and is of historical importance. It was for a short periode (1171–1263) a county (Komitat) of Hungary. It ended up as a part of the bigger Komitat Sopron. Every single Komitat castle developed into a city and a county seat. It didn’t happen in Lutzmannsburg, therefore it’s unique. So it happens to be the last original and „undestroyed“ Komitat castle.
