Foundation
The castle, first mentioned in a document in 1229, was built between 1222-29 on a predecessor structure whose roots most probably go back to the time of Louis the German. Around 800, the so-called “Carolingian fortress belt” was built against the Avars; these were essentially simple refuge and protective castles surrounded by a rampart on an almost square ground plan. Such a square ground plan can also be found in the castle complex of Kobersdorf (today Gartenhof).
All that remains of the actual castle are the square defensive walls and the old chapel.
In the engraving by Matthias Greischer, created around 1660, you can still see the large outbuilding, which probably originally formed the core of the castle. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat, the bastion walls of which have been preserved in their entirety, so that it would be conceivable to reactivate it – although this was not done in order to preserve the quality of living.
The chapel features early Gothic-Romanesque architectural elements and was decorated with frescoes around 1430 on behalf of the Forchtensteins. In addition to the pancreator, evangelist symbols and St. George, there is also a fresco of the Forchtenstein coat of arms, which is the oldest surviving depiction of the later Burgenland coat of arms.
Gothic style
Around 1480, the Weisspriach family extended the castle complex to include an outer bailey to the west and the larger, originally Protestant chapel.
The two southern towers of the outer bailey in particular have the semi-circular ground plan typical of the Gothic period.
Renaissance
In 1529, shortly after the first Turkish siege of Vienna, the Weisspriach family was at the zenith of its power; at the same time, the age of castles had begun. The west wing was built directly into the Gothic outer bailey, which still features numerous Renaissance vaults and windows.
The newly invented firearms made it necessary to reinforce all the towers and walls; the type of roundel, a tower with mighty outer walls, first appeared at this time, as did the barbican, a projection of the main gate.
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Mannerism and early Baroque
After the decline of the Weisspriach family, the castle was neglected for a long time; it was not until 1648 that the new lord of the castle, Kéry, continued the expansion of the castle. He completed the courtyard with the construction of a festival wing and the loggia, and also redecorated numerous halls of the castle, including the Knights‘ Hall.
The recatholization under Count Kéry also had an impact on the chapel: The gallery typical of Protestant chapels was removed, the Gothic entrance bricked up and a new entrance built in the early Baroque style. The interior was also decorated in Mannerist style; the stalls and pulpit from this period have been preserved.
A special feature here are the 48 individual angels floating on the ceiling, some of which emerge mermaid-like from the stucco and are thus still very much reminiscent of Renaissance grotesques. The altar itself comes from the Esterházys and was built in the Baroque style at the beginning of the 18th century.
The site plans are based on a graphic by Kaboldy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, and have been expanded.