Seebenstein Castle

Seebenstein Castle is located in Seebenstein, Lower Austria. The castle consists of two complexes: the old part with a round keep and a ruined palas from the 13th/14th century, and the upper castle from the 15th to 17th century. The latter houses a significant collection of weapons, Marian sculptures (for example, by Veit Stoß or, until a few years ago, even by Tilman Riemenschneider), and a chapel built into the corner.

The castle was founded around 1045 by Gottfried von Wels-Lambach and passed to the Formbachers around 1049. After the Formbachers died out in the 12th century, the castle came into the possession of the Wildensteiners. In 1170, a Kdolz von Seebenstein is mentioned for the first time.

In the following centuries, the castle changed owners several times, among them the Liechtensteins (14th century), the Seebeckers (1403 to 1432), and from 1432, the Königsbergers. The latter built the current upper castle, which was unsuccessfully besieged by the Turks in 1683. In the 17th century, the castle passed to the Pergens, who built a new castle in the valley and left the old castle to decay.

In 1790, Anton David Steiger leased the castle and founded the Wildensteiner zur blauen Erde association here. The association was dissolved in 1824, and a short time later, the Liechtensteins bought the castle. Johann I von Liechtenstein built the nearby castle ruin Türkensturz.

Since 1942, the castle has been owned by the Nehammer family.