The Passauerkasten

It is one of the oldest buildings of the town covering an area of 10 x 24 meters. Its basement vault is Gothic with six narrow,round-arched, Romanesque windows. The upper floor is divided into two incomparably big rooms: an 8 x 16 meters large hall with a height of almost 5 meters and with early gothicdouble arcade windows, and a subsequent space, which is in the form of a rectangle of approximately 5 x 8 meters.

The building’s appearance dates back to the architectural period of the Babenberg dynasty in its heyday.The early gothic tracery of the windows gives evidence to the building’s splendid past. It is to be supposed that it was the first castle of the town, the so-called Pallas, consisting of a manor house with a representative hall. The Barbarakapelle,which was known in former times as the Michaelskapelle, is opposite that building.

Nowadays it is hardly conceivable that this narrow dwelling-house, which is located directly near the church and above the town wall, was once a double-storeyed chapel.