Kranichberg Castle

The Lords of Kranichberg were ministeriales of the Counts of Formbach-Pitten. Around 1150, a Siggefridus de Craneberch appears in the documents. A fortified building must have already existed at that time. In 1202, a Hermann von Kranichberg is mentioned for the first time.

After the extinction of the branch residing in Kranichberg, Ulrich II von Wallsee-Graz is mentioned as the lord of the manor in 1352. In 1363, Leutold von Stadeck followed. The daughter of the last Stadecker married Ulrich von Montfort in 1400. After 1420, Kranichberg was already under the territorial prince and pledged to Walter Zebinger. In 1480, Kranichberg was conquered by Matthias Corvinus, but was returned in the Peace of Pressburg in 1491.

In the 16th century, the lordship was repeatedly held as a fief or pledge by imperial court officials. This was also the case for Ulrich Maschwander, who had the already heavily neglected building restored between 1561 and 1566. In 1602, the Hofkammer sold the lordship to Hans Unterholzer. In 1661, Johann Franz Graf Lamberg came into possession of the castle. By strengthening the fortifications, the Turkish year of 1683 was survived unscathed. However, a fire destroyed large parts of the complex in 1745. For cost reasons, only one of the three castle towers was renewed during reconstruction. In 1769, Anton Franz Adam Graf Lamberg sold the lordship to the Archdiocese of Vienna.

In 1970, the Archdiocese sold Kranichberg to the American industrialist Henry Reichhold, who owned it until 1980. The main castle is still privately owned today and is occasionally inhabited. A hotel is located in the outer bailey. In the 19th century, this building already served as a brewery and inn.