Groß-Schweinbarth Castle

Groß-Schweinbarth Castle is located in the southern part of the Lower Austrian market town of Groß-Schweinbarth. Its history dates back to the 12th century. Today, like Petronell Castle, Rappottenstein Castle, Maissau Castle, most of Traun Castle, and Palais Abensperg-Traun in Vienna's Weihburggasse, it is among the possessions of the Abensperg-Traun family.

The history of the castle begins in the 12th century, when the name of the place was mentioned as Suinwart or Swinwart, which referred to a high stand for wild boar hunting. Before 1280, a moated castle was built on the site of the high stand, which the Schweinbarth population owned until the beginning of the 14th century.

Subsequently, the population first had to submit to the feudal rule of the Burgrave of Nuremberg. As a princely fief, the lordship was later returned to the citizens. Furthermore, several properties of the Kuenringer family were located in the town, with whom there were increasing problems regarding their property boundaries. In 1375, the castle, the market, and the court of Schweinbarth were deeded by Nizzo II von Kuenring to his wife Margareta von Pottendorf with the consent of Burgrave Friedrich von Nuremberg. In the following years, the ownership of Schweinbarth and the moated castle changed hands several times. Finally, in 1658, Count Ernst von Abensperg und Traun succeeded in acquiring the Brandenburg share of Groß-Schweinbarth. Three years later, he also purchased the moated castle from Karl Johann Wilhelm von Schönkirchen. The present castle dates back to a reconstruction of the moated castle by the Counts Abensperg, which was renovated in 1973/78, as it was damaged in 1945 during World War II.