The Kammerhof Gmunden

The princely salt office

The Kammerhof in Gmunden is one of the most important and dominant buildings in the Salzkammergut and is a complex of buildings from the 14th century. The initially Gothic complex, which was built in 1450 from two existing Hofstätten, was enlarged and altered over the years. From 1453, it housed the provincial salt office, which was used as the administrative centre. The salt office was responsible for monitoring the state salt monopoly of the entire Imperial Chamber Estate. The Salzamtmann, or later Salzoberamtmann, administered the salt trade and salt extraction in this building and kept the entire Salzkammergut under lock and key. This was done on behalf of the Vienna Court Chamber.

The Salzamtmann also lived in the Kammerhof building. Theatre plays were also performed in his living quarters, which became the social centre of Gmunden. The Salzkammergut was frequently visited by sovereigns of the House of Habsburg, as the salt trade was of great importance to them in particular. Emperor Friedreich III and his son Emperor Maximilian I were among those who visited the Salzkammergut most often to find out about the situation and the profits of the salt industry. In the course of this, the salt industry was also organised and structured more efficiently under Emperor Maximilian I.

Unfortunately, the Kammerhof lost its importance when the transport route via the horse-drawn railway no longer led through Gmunden via the old transhipment point. The Salzoberamt became the Imperial and Royal Saltworks and Forestry Directorate for Upper Austria in 1850.