Batthyány Castle

The exact construction date of the castle is not documented, but it is presumed to have existed as a large, multi-story castle with a dairy farm as early as the beginning of the 17th century under the Königsbergers. Between 1646 and 1648, Batthyány expanded the castle with a gatehouse featuring a drawbridge. After the death of Count Ádám Batthyány in 1659, the castle became the dower house for his second wife, Barbara Corbelli, and thus the center of the Pinkafeld dominion. The castle underwent several renovations in the 18th and 19th centuries. It experienced a significant period between 1805 and 1817 under Countess Franziska Batthyány, who transformed it into a cultural meeting point. Here, the Romantic circle around Klemens Maria Hofbauer gathered, including figures like Zacharias Werner and Leopold Kupelwieser. In 1827, the castle served as the location for a commission dealing with the notorious robber gang of the “Stradafüßler,” which led to the arrest of their leader. The St. Anthony's Chapel, built in 1757, was demolished in 1904. Around the turn of the 20th century, the castle came into the possession of the Counts Batthyány-Taxis, later to Baron Neugebauer and Imperial Count Kagenegg, before the municipality of Pinkafeld acquired it and made it available to the state of Burgenland for a vocational school. The last major renovation took place from 1949 to 1952.

Batthyány Castle is situated in Pinkafeld in the Oberwart district, in the Austrian state of Burgenland. It lies at an elevation of approximately 388 meters above sea level.

Today, Batthyány Castle serves as a state vocational school, where apprentices are trained in various craft professions. Little of the castle's original appearance remains after the extensive renovations, particularly those from 1949 to 1952. The building is a protected monument. The Batthyány family's coat of arms is affixed to the castle, depicting a pelican feeding its young with its own blood, and a crown with points symbolizing nine counties. A statue of St. Anthony still commemorates the former chapel.

• Buchschachen Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 4.7 km away
• Willersdorf Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 5.1 km away
• Loipersdorf Castle (Castle), approx. 6.7 km away
• Jormannsdorf Castle (Castle), approx. 7.7 km away