Ortenstein

The name is derived from the Old and Middle High German word ort, which means as much as outermost point, edge, tip. It is believed that the tower was built in the second quarter of the 13th century on episcopal soil. The earliest written mention of the complex dates back to 1309 and 1312, when the last Vazer Donat of Vaz issued documents here. After his death around 1338, the castle passed to the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. In the Schamser feud Ortenstein was destroyed in 1451, but was allowed to be rebuilt. Often it was sold or even pledged because of financial difficulties. Through an inheritance, the complex passed to the von Tscharner family in 1893 and, after the death of Salome Linder-von Tscharner in 2009, into the care of their children. In 1998, the Pro Ortenstein Foundation was established with the aim of preserving it.