Albrechtsberg Castle

Albrechtsberg Castle is a castle in Albrechtsberg in the district of Melk, Lower Austria. It was temporarily the seat of the Upper Austrian noble family of Enenkel.

The castle was built and named by Albrecht von Perg (1120, †1168) from the family of the Lords of Perg and Machland, who was married to a Countess of Schalla and had brought the possessions in the Pielach valley into the marriage. Albrecht held Vogt rights over the monastery of St. Pölten and was sub-Vogt of the monastery of Melk. Albrecht von Perg lived in the castle with his wife and their two sons Siegfried and Meingozus von Perg and probably also von Albrechtsberg.

The later history until 1400 is closely connected with the area around Kilb, where the Lords of Perg also had possessions.

After the extinction of the Pergers, half of the castle passed directly to the Babenbergs, and the other half initially to the County of Plain and its successors, the County of Schaunberg.

Albrechtsberg Castle is located on a hill on the northwestern edge of the village of Albrechtsberg an der Pielach, a cadastral municipality of Loosdorf. The castle was built in 1581 in the Renaissance style over a medieval castle. In 1606, Ludwig von Starhemberg became the new owner of Albrechtsberg Castle. Since he participated in the Protestant noble uprising, his castle was set on fire by imperial soldiers during the fighting. The castle was expropriated, and the chapel was re-consecrated as Catholic. In 1704, another fire destroyed the chapel tower.

At the end of the 19th century, extensive renovations took place under the Auersperg family. In the war year 1945, the castle was devastated. Since 1995, it has been owned by the Weinberger family and is being successively renovated.