Geschichte Starcke-Häuschen
How the Dresden court actor Gustav Starcke (1848-1921) once lived in the vintner's cottage and wrote poems there. And how Bonaventura Hödl designed the vintner's cottage and gifted us with the fresco "Minerva" from Greek mythology.
"A place of inspiration"
The poet Gustav Starcke, who made his summer residence in the house of Dr. Hödl
who furnished the built vintner's cottage, wrote the “Summer Idyll” in 1906 -
"Moods on the Schlossberg in Graz", in which he writes in romantic,
who expressed his feelings in lavish verses at the castle hill.
The building was named “Starcke-Häuschen” in his honor. Even the poet
He developed horticultural inclinations here and laid out some flowerbeds around his little house.
on, in which he grew ivy, pansies, and mallow. “These are the
The floating gardens of Lord von Starcke! His “chapel house”, in which
He noted in the following poem that today it houses a café and a gourmet restaurant.
“Where once on steep rocks
Thomas' Chapel stood
Look, today there's a little white house.
To the green Styrian countryside
In this narrow space,
Decorated with a Gothic tower,
Does anyone live here in silence?
Far away from the storms of life.
Whether below or above
There is thunder, lightning, and crashing.
He behind white walls
Enveloped in green night.
From his narrow window,
Surrounded by epey leaves,
Does he greet all his friends?
With this simple song.”
© With kind permission of the Styrian State Archives
Once the powder tower on the castle hill – a witness to history, a witness to time – a place of the past. Revived by the will of one man, this place
To make it something special - that's how it began.
Where the Dresden court actor Gustav Starcke spent countless hours. Not just to indulge in wine, but to pursue his calling: to capture words in poetry and to give this place not just a name, but his own.
What remains is a fragmentary collection of stories surrounding the Schlossberg, Graz, and its namesake, Gustav Starcke. For those who found the vintner's cottage a source of inspiration, encounters, and tranquility. Where do these traces and spurs of the past remain when the loss of time takes over? To reflect on what is essential. What was must not be forgotten, otherwise we will be the first to be forgotten. Reach for the traces of the past and bring them to life in the present. Pass on to people what was once commonplace—be unconventional and be admired. Away from the refined clichés of grace. Towards tangible finds that reveal, tell, and allow us to feel history. To be consciously "present," as consciousness always is.
"We reach for the traces of the past and bring them to life in the present. It is our task to respect these treasures in their transience and to preserve them, treasures that make the Starcke House what it is: A place of inspiration."
Fresco "Minerva"
