Liebburg, Lienz

The Liebburg stands on the main square of Lienz, a town in East Tirol. Built in the early 17th century, it was the home of the Wolkenstein-Rodenegg family until 1653. Since 1988 it has served as the city’s town hall and is protected as a historic monument. The building reflects the changing fortunes of Lienz. After a fire in 1609 it was rebuilt, then altered in the 18th century and again in 1894. During the Napoleonic wars it became a military hospital. In 1991 the European Union awarded a prize for its conversion into a modern town hall. Visitors see a four-storey block with a symmetrical façade and two tall poplars beside it. The north front is framed by round towers topped with onion domes. A Renaissance doorway in the centre bears the Wolkenstein coat of arms. Inside, the layout dates from the late 19th-century conversion.