Legendary Riegersburg – Legendary Women
This exhibition is a journey into the history of Riegersburg Castle in 17th century. It shows the destinies of two women in the age of the wars against the Ottoman Empire, of witch-trials, but also the days of the high spirits and amusements of that Baroque Era.
Elisabeth Katharina of Galler was known as the „Gallerin“ or „Schlimme Liesl“ (Bad Beth). The reason for that last „nickname“ was, that in a period of male predominance she lived a self-determined life of her own and in a lot of trials she had do protect herself and the castle as well
The destiny of Katharina Paldauff, a servant of Lady Gallerin, leads us to one of the darkest periods of eastern Styria, the great witch-trial in Feldbach, 1673 - 1675. Katharina Paldauff, still today known as „Blumenhexe“ (Flower witch) was one of the victims, who had been accused of bad weather sorcery and had been executed in 1675.
No wonder, that the destinies of those two women had inspired legends and these legends are often better known as the truth about them.
But also the contrasts between aristocratic life and baroque luxury on one side and poverty, superstition and war against the Ottoman Empire on the other side can be clearly seen in that exhibition.
This exhibition, designed in a modern way with videos, images and sounds let you really feel and understand this bygone era.
Witches and Sorcerers
1987 were 20 rooms of the castle used and designed for a great exhibition about the age of witch hunting in Styria (Steirische Landesausstellung). With about 360.000 visitors it was the most successful Landesausstellung of all time. It was an interesting subject and there were some references to the castle.
1673 – 1675 the greatest witch trial of Styria happened in Feldbach and one of the 95 victims was Katharina Paldauff, the so called „Blumenhexe“, who was married to one of the keepers of the castle.
1988 the exhibitions was reduced of about half the size and continued also very successfully as “witches museum” .
Since 2003, after a necessary revision, the “witches museum” is still an interesting and modern exhibition about a timeless subject.
