"The dumb prisoner"

Length: approx. 90 minutes

A theme tour with the "Dumb Prisoner", who reveals the details of his 22-years as a prisoner at the fortress on a tour through its dusky rooms, is one of the very special offers available at Hohenwerfen Fortress.

Josef Steinwender, a farmer from the Peyrl Farm in the Lungau region, was betrayed during a secret meeting in 1760 and taken to Moosham Castle for days of interrogation. He pretended to be mute to avoid further questioning and any attempts to convert him to the Catholic faith.

He declined all visits from the outside world and even refused to see his own family (he had 4 children). After his release 22 years later, he chose to stay at Hohenwerfen Fortress, helping out as a prison guard, up to his death on October 5, 1782. He stayed in Hohenwerfen Fortress for a total of 24 years.