Aggstein

Walter Prinzl

Walter Prinzl’s subjects were often romantic and his etchings and color aquatints often required two or three plates for printing the colors. His etching and color aquatint, Aggstein, depicts the ruins of the Aggstein castle, located on the right bank of the Danube River in Wachau, Austria. The castle is situated about 980 feet above the right bank of the Danube (seen in the distance) on an outcrop running from east to west. It is some 490 feet long and has a rock structure at both ends. The castle traces its origins to the beginning of the 12th century when it was built by Manegold III of Acchispach (Aggsbach). The castle had a colorful history of sieges, robber barons, and nobles. It was destroyed by the Turks in 1529 and never regained its earlier glory. Today the castle is one of the most popular tourists attractions in lower Austria.