| This house is also known as the "Hoffman'sches Freihaus" (Hoffmann free house) and was originally a city home which was acquired by Kaiser Ferdinand I during the 1st half of the 16th century. The building was used to house the Kaiser's extensive entourage when he was in residence at the castle.
In 1552 the house fell into the hands of Baron von Hoffmann and became a free house. The term 'free house' refers to a noble residence within the city walls which was free from all the obligations of the town.
Salome Alt of Alenau, the long-term lover of the Archbishop of Salzburg, Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau, acquired the house in 1622 and bequeathed it to her son, Viktor, who sold it to Mathias Eisl of Eiselsberg in 1668. Today the house is privately owned.
The house has an interesting Late-Gothic corner oriel dating from the middle of the 16th century with a richly decorative architecture. Particularly striking are the beautiful Renaissance fresco paintings dating from the 2nd half of the 16th century which were exposed during renovation work carried out in1956. The coats of arms painted on the three sides of the corner oriel are particularly impressive and depict the coats of arms of the family Hoffmann relations (Salm, Hoffmann von Grünbühel, Polheim). |