The Anif Palace, also known as Water Palace Anif, stands beside an artificial pond

Moat

A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...

 within the Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n county of Anif

Anif

Anif is a small municipality with 4,300 inhabitants, located south of Salzburg in the state of Salzburg, Austria.-History:The place was mentioned for the first time as "the church near Anif" in 788. In 1782, the Grimm brothers recorded in his Brixener Volksbuch a local tale about a peasant and a...

 at the southern edge of the city of Salzburg

Salzburg

-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...

. Anif is most famous for its use in several movies, including The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music (film)

Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...

and Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...

's The Odessa File

The ODESSA File (film)

The Odessa File is a 1974 film adaptation of the thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth, about a struggle between a young German reporter and the ODESSA, an organization for ex-Nazis. The film stars Jon Voight and was directed by Ronald Neame, with a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber.- Plot :The plot opens...

.

History

Its origins cannot be exactly dated but there is a document from around 1520 showing that a palace called Oberweiher existing at this location. Its owner was the dominion directory bailiff

Bailiff

A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...

 Lienhart Praunecker.

From 1530 the water palace is mentioned regularly as a fief given by the respective Archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 of Salzburg. In this way it was given to the bishops of Chiemsee

Chiemsee

Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...

 after a restoration by Johann Ernst von Thun

Johann Ernst von Thun

Johann Ernst von Thun was prince-archbishop of Salzburg, Austria, from 1687 to 1709. He was originally from Tyrol and he displayed a marked antipathy to the Italian designers and tastemakers that were emulated by many Austrians at the time...

 in 1693; from then on, the bishops used it as a summer residence.

When Salzburg fell to Austria in 1806, the palace and the pond came into public ownership. Although the palace was leased from that point on, the respective users did not undertake any rebuilding or restoring measures worth mentioning.

This changed when the property was sold to Alois Count Arco-Stepperg in 1837. He rebuilt Anif Palace between 1838 and 1848 in new Gothic romanticizing style, and gave it its present-day look. Up to that time, the palace had simply consisted of a plain, four-story dwelling and a two-story connecting building to a chapel.

After the death of the Count in 1891 the property fell to his nearest female relative, Sophie, who was married to the Count Ernst von Moy de Sons; the palace therefore ended up in the hands of his old French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

 noble family

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

.

In 1918, the palace attracted public attention when King Ludwig III of Bavaria

Ludwig III of Bavaria

Ludwig III , was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.-Early life:...

 and his family and entourage fled to escape the November Revolution. With the Declaration of Anif

Anif declaration

The Anif declaration , issued by the Bavarian king Ludwig III on 12 November 1918 at Anif Palace, Austria, ended the 738-year rule of the House of Wittelsbach in Bavaria.-Historical background:...

 on the 12/13 November 1918, Ludwig III refused to abdicate; however, he freed all Bavarian government officials, soldiers and officers from their oath because he was not able to continue the government.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 the German Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

 units were accommodated in the palace, followed by American units in 1945.

Present

In October 2001 the palace and its owner Johannes Count von Moy de Sons made news headlines when it was revealed that part of the furniture, which had been put under historic preservation

Historic preservation

Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...

 status as an ensemble with the palace, had been offered for sale at Sotheby's

Sotheby's

Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...

 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. Some of the pieces were returned to Austria and are now partly visible in the Museum Carolino Augusteum of Salzburg.

The Anif Palace is still privately owned by the family von Moy, who restored it fundamentally between 1995 and 2000. Public tours of this historic building are not provided.
This castle was also used in the movie "The Great Race" as "baron von Stuppe's actor Ross Martin in the movie.

Gallery