Aicha Castle

Aicha vorm Wald Castle is a castle in the municipality of Aicha vorm Wald and the only moated castle in the Bavarian Forest. The castle is somewhat hidden on the edge of the village on a small hill in the Gaißa valley.

A tower in "Aichakirchen" owned by the Counts of Hals is first attested at the beginning of the 14th century. Since 1360, the Pfeil family was the feudal lord. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Püchler von Weideneck took over the castle, and in 1540, through marriage, the Siegertshofer. Anton von Siegertshofen died in 1548, Kaspar von Siegertshofen in 1562, and his wife Susanna in 1565. Then followed the Edlen von Stoer, who essentially shaped the current appearance of the complex around 1580. In 1682, the electoral council Baron Kaspar von Schmidt zu Sulzbach bought the castle and sold it again before 1689 to Siegmund Friederich Süntzl von Söldenau. After his and his widow's death, Adam Leopold von Rehling inherited it in 1724. Max Alois von Asch acquired it from him. On June 10, 1742, the Pandurs devastated the village. In 1752, Baroness von Hackledt bought the castle, and in 1773, it passed to Baron von Schönhueb. Between 1765 and 1777, Baron von Schrecksleb is also mentioned as the owner of some properties. In 1776, the then owner set up a chapel on the upper floor of the castle. In 1792, Joseph Anton Freiherr von Hackledt took over the castle. He died in 1799, and in 1800, his heir, Baron Joseph von Peckenzell, became the new lord of the castle. In 1816, the master dyer and later member of parliament Friedrich Zaspel acquired the estate. Peckenzell, however, sold the dominical properties in 1816 to Kajetan von Hueb zu Eberhardsreut.

From 1856 to 1866, the physician Alexander Erhard, son of the historiographer of the same name, had his practice here. In 1870, a part of the castle collapsed at the northeast corner. In 1952, it came into the possession of Alexis Prince von Croÿ (1910-2002), expelled from Bohemia, and his wife Elisabeth, née Countess von Beaufort-Spontin (1911-1995) (see House Huy). The castle remains in family ownership.

Opposite the castle, a guesthouse with an inn (Wirtshaus am Schloss) was established.