Alt-Schielleiten Castle

Altschielleiten is a castle ruin near Stubenberg in Styria.

The Stubenberg family built the castle in the late 13th century. Schielleiten, strategically located on a valley flank, had the task of fending off enemies from the east before they could reach Stubenberg Castle. The Lords of Schielleiten, mentioned since 1328, were vassals of the Stubenbergs. Wulfing von Schielleiten died before 1400 as the last of his family. The castle was taken over from 1400 to 1629 by the Rindschad family, who also served the Stubenbergs. In 1629, the female heirs of the Rindschad family had to leave Styria because they were Protestants and Schielleiten was a center of Protestantism in Styria. They had previously sold Schielleiten to the later governor Carl Graf Saurau. From 1629-1694, the castle was owned by the Counts of Saurau, who sold it in 1694 to the Counts of Wurmbrand-Stuppach. They owned the castle from 1694-1906, but began rebuilding a new castle at the foot of the old one around 1730. With its completion, the old castle was abandoned. Due to the introduction of the roof tax, the roof was removed and all usable building material was sold. By 1813, the building was already a ruin. Alt-Schielleiten, which remained in the possession of the Wurmbrand family until 1905, is now privately owned.