Farmach Castle

The history of Schloss Farmach in Saalfelden is largely shrouded in mystery. The first document hinting at this estate dates back to 1272. In 1339, a Jans von Farmach is mentioned in a document.

It is also not historically certain when the Farmach estate fell to the Lords of Alm. However, it is certain that this lineage expanded the estate into a castle. In 1567, the castle was owned by Helena von der Alm, the wife of Baron Georg von Toerring. In 1599, Hans Zehentner, Toerring's administrator at Farmach since 1555, acquired the castle along with all its land. From 1614, he was allowed to adorn himself with the predicate "von Farmach" according to an imperial decree. The castle remained in the possession of the Zehentners for about 130 years, until in 1737 Franz Raimund von Rehlingen bought the castle and began a fundamental renovation in 1760. The work was not completed. He died in 1770.

In 1785, the estate passed to the farmer Bartlmä Schwaiger as an Urbargut (hereditary farm). An annex was built - the Maierhof - which was designed for horses and cows and housed an inn.

In 1822, the Imperial and Royal Treasury acquired the castle to house the district court, later the district court and the tax office for the Saalfelden area. During renovation work, the marble floor of the hall was removed and brought to Mirabell Palace in Salzburg. There it can still be admired today in the Marble Hall, the wedding hall of the city of Salzburg.

In 1902, the entire property was acquired by the municipalities of Saalfelden, Leogang, and Maria Alm, which established their joint hospital and nursing home here. Since 1904, Schloss Farmach has been solely owned by the municipality of Saalfelden.

Around 1900, Schloss Farmach was still a striking, large building surrounded by wide meadows and visible from afar. Saalfelden's center is about one kilometer from Farmach. Today, the wide meadows have been built upon, and Farmach is located on the immediate outskirts of Saalfelden.

Over the many years, the nursing home has been expanded, improved, enlarged, and made more attractive. Major additions took place around 1960, around 1980, and in 2000. Today, Farmach is a highly regarded and popular senior residence. In November 2004, its 100th anniversary was celebrated.