Wine Culture from Göttweiger Berg

Beginnings in the Middle Ages

In 1083, Bishop Altmann of Passau founded Göttweig Abbey and endowed it with extensive estates and vineyards. From 1094, shortly after his death, Göttweig was converted into a Benedictine monastery. During the Middle Ages the holdings grew through endowments and purchases across Lower Austria. Ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries safeguarded the legal claims to these estates on Göttweig's behalf. The assets remained stable until the 18th century, and only then declined through sales.

Forms of Cultivation at Göttweig

Since the Middle Ages, Göttweig cultivated vineyards partly on its own and partly through sharecropping. Tenants delivered a portion of the harvest, while estate management required hired labor. Until the late 17th century, sharecropping dominated, later direct cultivation prevailed. Göttweig also received income from wine tithe and mining rights. Until the 1960s, bush-trained vines shaped the vineyards, followed by the Lenz Moser high-culture system.

Göttweig and its Lesehöfe

To ensure successful winegrowing, Göttweig established harvest courtyards (Lesehöfe) in Furth, Stein an der Donau, and Königstetten. Each courtyard and the surrounding vineyards were managed by a steward. Stein originated in the late 13th century, Furth in 1313, Königstetten likely at the end of the 13th century. The most important courtyard was Furth, the center of viticulture south of the Danube, with residential and working quarters, cellars, and a tavern until 1606.

Origins of the Göttweig Cellar Office

Thanks to its location, Furth became the center of Göttweig's wine economy. In 1681, Abbot Johannes Dizent purchased the "Staudinger cellar" opposite the old harvest courtyard and expanded it by 1702 into Göttweig's largest wine depot, storing hundreds of thousands of liters at times. In 1737, Abbot Gottfried Bessel acquired the "Grabnerhof", had it demolished, and commissioned Franz Anton Pilgram to build the "New Harvest Courtyard", which was used as a rectory from 1784 onward.

Baroque Heyday under Abbot Gottfried Bessel

Abbot Bessel left a lasting mark on Göttweig's wine business and led it to a new heyday. His predecessor Abbot Mayr (1689-1713) had already laid important foundations with the collection cellar in Furth and another in Aigen. Bessel built on this, introduced clear regulations such as mandatory contracts even for small quantities, and personally oversaw wholesale trade. After his death around 2 million liters of wine were stored; the 18th century is considered the golden age before a decline set in.

The Abbey as a "Phoenix Rising from the Ashes"

The abbey as we know it today was rebuilt after the great fire of 1718, based on plans by architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Abbot Gottfried Bessel, as the building patron, actively contributed his ideas to the design of rooms and structures. With his death, construction came to a halt, and the new building remains unfinished to this day.

Göttweig Sky

A special highlight of the new building was the monumental imperial staircase with the ceiling fresco by Paul Troger (1739). It was painted in honor of Emperor Charles VI, the reconstruction's patron. Today the staircase counts among the largest Baroque staircases in Europe. Empress Maria Theresa and Napoleon once ascended beneath the fresco. Today the artwork adorns the closures of our wine bottles, and individual figures from the fresco appear on the labels.

Grand Celebrations and Festivities

In 1746, Göttweig celebrated Abbot Bessel's 50th priestly jubilee with the imperial couple Maria Theresa and Francis I. Prior Gregor Schenggl recorded in detail: "The emperor and empress hardly drank any wine, Prince Charles Alexander brought his own Burgundy." During the multi-day festivities more than 150 vats (almost 9,000 liters) of various wines were enjoyed, including table wine, convent wine, and imported varieties such as Tokaji and Montepulciano.

Stift Göttweig Wine as a Bestseller

Wholesale merchants often bought wine in autumn when cellar masters needed to free up barrels, which drove prices down. Older vintages were in high demand. The Danube served as an important transport route; upstream, horses towed ships toward Bavaria, while to the north wine traveled by horse-drawn wagon. Göttweig also operated numerous taverns around the hill and in Vienna. From 1500 there was a tavern on the hill, relocated to the abbey in 1719, today's abbey restaurant.

Wine as an Economic Pillar

Since the 15th century Göttweig traded wine, and from 1500 onwards also with Bavaria, Vienna, Poland, Bohemia, and Moravia. In 1569 the Polish queen purchased 300 vats (17,500 liters). In 1727 and 1730 Thomas Trettenbacher of Laufen acquired over 100,000 liters of Göttweig wine and shipped it by boat. In 1717 the Viennese innkeeper of "Beim schwarzen Tor" bought 60,000 liters. Around 1700 the central cellars in Furth generated high revenues that financed the Baroque reconstruction by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.

The 20th and 21st Centuries

During the Nazi era, the city of Krems confiscated Stift Göttweig and managed the abbey and vineyards until 1945. The wine was stored in the municipal cellar and sold at a profit. After the war the abbey was restituted but faced economic difficulties. In 1987 the cellar office was dissolved. In 2006 "Weingut Stift Göttweig GmbH" was founded with its cellar at Weingut Stadt Krems, this time under conciliatory auspices.

The Present

Since 2006 the estate has been managed by an ambitious and highly trained team led by Fritz Miesbauer, former managing director of "Freie Weingärtner Wachau". Today the GmbH consists of private wine enthusiasts. Wines from 30 hectares in the Kremstal, just as throughout history, are exported largely worldwide. In 2020 the wine estate was named Winery of the Year by the wine magazine "Falstaff".